Hawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia but Tyrolean Hound is originated from Austria. Hawaiian Poi Dog may grow 12 cm / 4 inches shorter than Tyrolean Hound. Hawaiian Poi Dog may weigh 12 kg / 26 pounds lesser than Tyrolean Hound. Hawaiian Poi Dog may live 6 years less than Tyrolean Hound. Hawaiian Poi Dog may have less litter size than Tyrolean Hound. Both Hawaiian Poi Dog and Tyrolean Hound requires Low 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.
The Tyrolean Hound, also known as Tyroker Bracke or Tiroler Bracke originates from Tyrol, Austria. It seems the dog was developed in the late 1800s for hunting.
This is a scenthound that is thought to have descended from Celtic Hounds, Foxhounds and Bloodhounds in the late 1800s.
The dog is a member of the FCI’s scent hound group. The dog was recognized as its own breed in 1908, and in 2006 it was recognized by the United Kennel Club.
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 Tyrolean Hound is a medium-sized to large dog. He stands at roughly between 43 to 50cm in height and can weigh between 20 and 27kg.
He is muscular, lean and compact. The double coat is short and smooth and can be red, tan, black or tri-colored. The ears are high set, are broad, floppy and long. The tail is long and is carried high.
Independent and intelligent the Tyrolean Hound is a hardworking dog, loving to be active. He has all the characteristics of a great pet and companion – loving, lively, intelligent, independent, easily trained and protective.
He’s the kind of dog that would suit a home with a large garden as opposed to living in the city. He is wary of strangers and has a loud bark to warn you of intruders. He has a friendly nature with his human family and makes a good playmate for children.
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 Tyrolean Hound is a keen hunting dog loving to be outdoors and active, requiring large grounds to be happy.
Once he comes indoors he is able to settle down with his human family and have some quiet time with them.
He is loyal and loving, but you are going to have to be prepared for an active lifestyle with this skilled hunting dog of yours.
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.
Because these dogs put everything into their hunting, injuries related to hunting can sometimes plague this energetic dog.
Apart from that, he is robust and can live to be 12 – 14 years of age. There are one or two common dog illnesses to look out for with this dog such as hip dysplasia or ear infections.
The large, floppy ears of the Tyrolean Hound are prone to ear infections. Unlike with dogs that have erect ears, these dogs don’t have their inner ears aired and the dampness, wax and dirt cause bacteria to build up which ultimately leads to an ear infection.
The hip joint forms abnormally, leading to chronic wear and tear together with inflammation. Sometimes the dog will squeal when he gets touched around his hips. The condition can worsen and sometimes the dog even becomes lame. He will need to get to the vet for something to control pain.
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.
He has a short coat and will simply require a brush twice a week. Because of the fairly large, floppy ears, he will need to have the inside of his ears checked for redness and the possibility of an ear infection.
This dog has always been used to plenty of exercise. He won’t adapt to life in the city on a tiny property. The ideal place for this dog is on a large property, preferably a farm.
Walks, hikes, swimming, ball games, hide and seek – he is a dog that can’t seem to get enough action – he wants to be in on all the action. He is intelligent and will also need mental stimulation.
If you were to buy your lean Tyrolean Hound some commercially manufactured food, you’d buy him food that was made for high energy dogs. You’d certainly want to make sure the food is of a high quality, packed with vitamins and minerals and natural ingredients.
He would also love some home-made food too. Raw meat occasionally would do him the world of good. This sort of food needs to be plain and simple such as boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables.