PetzloverHawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia but Lowchen is originated from Germany. Both Hawaiian Poi Dog and Lowchen are having almost same height. Hawaiian Poi Dog may weigh 7 kg / 16 pounds more than Lowchen. Hawaiian Poi Dog may live 6 years less than Lowchen. Both Hawaiian Poi Dog and Lowchen has almost same litter size. Hawaiian Poi Dog requires Low Maintenance. But Lowchen requires Moderate Maintenance
The Hawaiian Poi Dog was a descendent of the dogs brought to the Islands by the Polynesian. These Polynesian dogs were themselves descendants of the kuri dog of New Zealand. These kuri dogs were originally from Indonesia. The Hawaiian Poi dog is now extinct but at one time was considered the spiritual protector of Hawaiian children and also used as food by hungry Native Hawaiians.
The dog was called poi which was the word for a food staple mad from the root of Taro and used to put weight on the dogs before they were eaten. Meat was not fed to the dogs because it was too scarce. There was no large mammals to hunt and so the breed was never given a standard. The Poi dog seen by European explorers were short legged, pot bellied canines that lived with the hogs in the towns. Because of what they ate, the dogs were not highly intelligent but were stubborn and hard to train. Because the dogs were not suited for much beyond food and a spiritual charm, they became extinct when the traditional religion was no longer practiced and eating dogs was no longer acceptable. The breed pretty much disappeared by the early 20th century. Very few images of the dogs remain except for ancient petroglyphs.
There was an attempt by the Honolulu Zoo in the late 1960’s to redevelop the breed using local dogs to determine a standard. Then the local dogs were bred as close to the standard as possible. In the third generation one dog was born with the traits of a Poi dog. There was not much more success with this and then the Polynesian ship travel between Tahiti and Hawaii was recreated and a dog taken along.
Today’s mixed breed dogs in Hawaii are called Poi dogs but also have the stubbornness, unique appearance and ability to eat anything it is given like the original Poi. The dogs are small, and should not be confused with the original Poi dogs.
Known as the Little Lion Dog, the Lowchen is considered by some registries as a toy dog and by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting dog.
Nobody seems too certain about the true origin of the dog but most records seem to suggest it originates from Germany, France or Holland.
He was bred to catch rats and mice and his history goes way back to 1442, with images of him being found in engravings and paintings. People think he may be related to the Bichon Frise.
His history shows that apart from being used to catch vermin he was also a companion dog to the wealthy. A breeding program for the dog was started in 1944 and they were later imported to Britain in the late 1960s. The dog was given Kennel Club recognition in the UK in 1971, also appearing in America in 1971 with The Lowchen Club of America being formed.
As previously mentioned the Poi dog is somewhat unusual in size and shape due to what they ate. They looked somewhat like the native dogs of Polynesia and New Zealand. They have short legs, long bodies, somewhat obese and a very flat head. He had a short smooth coat, in any color or any pattern. They were however mostly brown and they might or might not have white markings.
The Lowchen is a small dog but robustly built and stands at between 25 – 33 cm in height and weighs anything from 4 – 8 kg.
He has a long coat which is available in a number of colors - cream, white, grey, black, silver and bi-colored. The single coat isn’t like that of the Bichon Frise, thin and fluffy, but is much thicker, silky and wavy and sheds minimally. People love snipping the long coat cut so that the dog looks like a small lion, short over the body and with a mane, with some hair left around the ‘ankle’ parts of the legs.
The tail is also sheared and left with a pom-pom look. People look at him as an ideal pet as he doesn’t shed much and is looked upon as being a hypoallergenic dog.
He has a wide muzzle and broad, flat skull. The ears are floppy with fringing, the eyes dark, round and intelligent looking. The litter size of this dog is is usually between 3 and 6 puppies.
Intelligent, bright, outgoing and affectionate, you won’t find any aggression in this cute little dog unless the owners have treated him so badly that he wants to be aggressive.
He is such an amicable little pet that he won’t cause you any trouble – he just wants to be your friend. He is a social dog, but can be quite timid when introduced to new people.Socialization and training will do wonders for him and give him some confidence.
He just loves receiving attention and is also prepared to give a lot of attention too. Although he can adapt easily to life in the city or the countryside, he wouldn’t like his owners being at work all day and leaving him alone hour after hour. He is gentle with his human family and sees to it that he gets on well with children as well as pets in the home.
The Hawaiian Poi dog was very friendly and good with children
The Poi was considered a good luck charm and a spiritual protector of children
Given what they faced in life, the Poi dog was very adaptable, living anywhere on the islands and eating anything it could find.
Due to their poor diet, the Hawaiian Poi dog was seriously lacking in intelligence and learning ability.
The Lowchen is sure to make anyone a splendid pet as he is friendly, playful, loving and loyal. He is such a good natured pet and will make a wonderful companion, being able to get on well with children and pets in the home.
He is energetic too and will love to be outside playing games or joining you on a walk. Those who have had the Lowchen as a pet haven’t been disappointed as they all agree that he makes the most amazing family companion.
Probably due to its diet, the Poi dog had several problems to their health. Their poor diet led to a sluggishness both in movement and intelligence. Its development was hampered by a lack of protein. Malnutrition and serious over inbreeding caused a weakness and poor oral hygiene. Due to this lack of teeth and chewing the bones in the dogs heads became flat. The Poi had breathing issues and overall lethargy.
The Lowchen is a healthy dog breed so you aren’t going to be spending too much money with him at the vet. Some health concerns with this particular dog breed are cataracts and patellar luxation.
It can be so sad witnessing your dog’s bright, alert eyes clouding over. Dogs have clear lens, but cataracts, while not painful, can impair vision and actually lead to complete vision loss. As the eye disease progresses, the lens can become completely opaque.
This occurs when the kneecap of the dog is dislocated from its normal position. You’ll see your dog holding up his hind leg every now and then. It can only be returned to its normal position once the quadriceps muscles of the dog relax.
This is a common knee joint problem in dogs and it can lead to arthritis. He will need to get to the vet.
With meat being rare in Hawaii, none was available for the dogs. They were fed Poi – from the Taro plant roots. Puppies were fed 2-3 times a day.
The adult dog was fed once or twice a day the same as Poi puppies were fed.
The Hawaiian Poi dog basically has not good health points.
The Poi dog did not need and did not get much exercise, leading to its demise.
Because your Lowchen is a bright, happy companion dog you want to ensure that you look after him well to ensure his ongoing wellbeing.
The single coat is long and you will need to brush him regularly to keep it looking good. If brushing becomes too hectic, you can have him sheared at a professional dog groomer.
Check him over for fleas and ticks while brushing him.
Feel all over his body for the emergence of new lumps.
Clip his nails to ensure they don’t grow long so that they hook on things and tear his flesh.
Check the inside of his ears to make sure there is no sign of redness and ear infection. This can drive your pet mad with the itching. The ears need to be kept clean, as do the teeth and both these can be done for you at professional dog groomers.
Every dog requires exercise and your Lowchen will need games and walks to keep him fit, to ward off obesity and to provide him with something to look forward to.
Make sure to feed your pet wholesome food as good quality food promotes good health and longevity. Give your Lowchen the best quality kibble there is and try and mix in some homemade cooked chicken, brown rice, pasta and cooked or raw vegetables every now and then just to add some tasty variety to your pets diet. Make sure he always has access to fresh, cool water.
Make sure your Lowchen has a warm, dry comfy spot to sleep, and ensue that when he’s outside he has shade to lie down in.