MyDogBreedsShepherd Husky is originated from United States but Hawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia. Shepherd Husky may grow 26 cm / 11 inches higher than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Shepherd Husky may weigh 25 kg / 56 pounds more than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Shepherd Husky may live 6 years more than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Shepherd Husky may have more litter size than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Shepherd Husky requires Moderate maintenance. But Hawaiian Poi Dog requires Low maintenance
What a beautiful dog the Shepherd Husky is. He is a mix between the Husky and the German Shepherd. Other names for him include Gerberian Shepsky, German Husky and Siberian Shepherd.
The German Shepherd originated in Germany and the Husky is from Siberia. We assume this mixed breed dog was bred in the USA. The true origin of the German Shepherd Husky dog is unclear but both the parent breeds have long histories.
The dog is recognized as a Hybrid by both the Dog Registry of America as well as the American canine hybrid Club.
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.
Solid and strong, the German Shepherd Husky mix is attractive. He is a fairly large dog standing at 51 to 64cm in height and weighing between 20 to 40kg.
They’re powerful dogs these as they have a long history of being working dogs. The eyes of this beautiful dog can be brown, green or blue or a mix of these. The thick double coat protects them from the cold and in the warmer months, he sheds quite a bit.
The coat can be brown, black and tan or it can have creamy shades and be mixed with grey and white too.
The Shepherd Husky is a friendly, amicable dog who wants to please his owner. Training and socialization make him even more well adjusted. He is a dog that will get on well with children in the home as well as other dogs.
He is such an all rounder this dog – loyal, intelligent, social and loving - being great for accompanying you on walks and hikes but being willing to sit with you indoors too.
While he is adaptable and good natured and will happily live with his owner in the city or the countryside, he is better suited to life in the countryside. He also makes a great guard-dog.
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 German Shepherd Husky mix is such an ideal dog for single people, couples and families. This wolf-like breed is intelligent, loving,social and protective – the ideal family dog.
For those looking for an active dog that can be their jogging, walking and camping partner, this dog is for you. He loves to be busy, but he also loves being made a fuss of indoors too.
He has so many excellent qualities and is one dog breed that ticks all the right boxes for being such an all-round splendid pet and companion.
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.
This is such a robust dog that you an scarcely think of him being sickly and yet there are some illnesses that are common to all dogs and which your German Shepherd Husky mix might get as well.
Hip dysplasia is common in German Shepherd dogs as well as arthritis and thyroid dysfunction. Bloat and cancer are other diseases to watch for.
Canine hip dysplasia is a genetic disease characterised as a disease of the hip. The malformation can lead to arthritis and pain and ultimately lead to the loss of hip function, crippling your dog.
You will need to get your pet to the vet for treatment to make his life more comfortable.
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.
◆Brush the coat of your Shepherd Husky twice a week to rid the coat of loose hairs. This dog’s hair sheds quite heavily as the weather warms and he may require brushing more often.
◆When you brush him, check the ears and eyes for infection. The eyes must be bright and clear.
◆Feed your Shepherd Husky the best food there is as he is an energetic, working breed. The commercially manufactured foods can be a good, convenient choice but you need to make sure it is one of the better brands.
Some of the cheaper brands are full of bad ingredients that can make a dog sick.Try and give him some home-made foods that are healthy and nutritious. This food can be added to his dry kibble twice a week.
Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a tasty healthy choice for your pet. Try and include some raw meat into the diet as well.
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.