MyDogBreedsPolish Lowland Sheepdog is originated from Poland but Hawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia. Polish Lowland Sheepdog may grow 12 cm / 5 inches higher than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Polish Lowland Sheepdog may weigh 8 kg / 18 pounds more than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Polish Lowland Sheepdog may live 7 years more than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Polish Lowland Sheepdog may have more litter size than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Polish Lowland Sheepdog requires Moderate maintenance. But Hawaiian Poi Dog requires Low maintenance
Hailing from Poland, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog is believed to have descended from herding dogs as well as the Puli and Tibetan Terrier.
Later these dogs were bred with local Scottish dogs to bring about Scottish herding dogs, the Bearded Collie. The dog was accepted by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 1959. In 2001, the American Kennel Club recognized the Polish Lowland Sheepdog as a breed in the Herding Group.
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 Polish Lowland Sheepdog is a medium-sized dog. Both males and females stand between 42cm to 50 cm in height and they weigh roughly between 14 and 23kg.
The dog has a double coat which can mostly be white, cream, gray, brown and black. The underdoat is soft and dense with the top coat being straight or wavy and being medium length.
There is quite a bit of hair around the facial area. The eyes are alert and brown and the ears medium size, high set and then drooping down. The tail has always been attractively docked, giving the dog an attractive, compact look but these days it is often just left long.
Lively, bright as a button, clever, social and feisty, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog is easy to train, becoming obedient and well balanced. The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is such a self confident dog and he will fit happily into life in the city or the countryside, loving spending time with his human family.
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 PON is an independent, self-willed dog but he can also be entertaining and amusing. He is a social, friendly dog but for many people, his long hair and grooming requirement might prove to be a bit of a handful.
Your dog is energetic, cheerful and playful and when he isn’t around, it will be like some sunshine has gone out of your life. He is faithful and loving towards his human family but is aloof towards strangers. Bring one of these dogs into your home and you’re guaranteed to have a remarkable friend and pet for many years.
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.
These dogs are generally healthy and the dog’s life expectancy is about 12 years. Nonetheless there are some problems to be aware of. For instance, with this dog, hip dysplasia is a real problem.
The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of hundreds of these dogs and found a large percentage were dysplastic.
Hereditary eye disease can also occur with this dog. Macular degeneration is a common eye disorder that can cause central vision loss. Many genetic abnormalities can cause degeneration of the image forming part of the eye. Unfortunately these conditions can result in total blindness. Parts of the retina can also degenerate with age.
Skin allergies are also an ever present threat with your dog. Itchiness and pain can be a nightmare for your pet and scratching and licking brings no relief – just aggravates the condition. You will certainly need to get your pet to the vet as skin allergies and skin diseases can make your beloved canine miserable.
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.
Your Polish Lowland Sheepdog is like a big Bear and his long, shaggy coat will require regular brushing, otherwise it could become full of burrs and grass.
Many people prefer to take their dogs to a grooming parlor where the hair is cut, the nails trimmed, the teeth cleaned and the ears checked.
Provide your Sheepdog with a nice warm, dry cozy spot that is his and where he can quietly retreat.
If your Polish Lowland Sheepdog spends time outdoors, make sure he has access to both shade, sun and shelter in case it rains. There must always be a bowl of fresh water outdoors too.
It is better to give your adult Polish Lowland Sheepdog 2 smaller helpings of food as opposed to one big bowl. Puppies will need 4 bowls of food a day. Two bowls will ensure your dog doesn’t gobble up his food and create digestive problems and bloat.
High-quality dry dog food will provide a balanced diet, but you want to make it a little more delicious for him occasionally by mixing in chopped up boiled chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. Just a tad of raw meat occasionally can also be of huge benefit.
Fresh, cool water should always be available around the clock. Be sure to keep his food and water dishes clean.
Have your dogs spayed or neutered if you don’t want them to have puppies.
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.