MyDogBreedsWhite Shepherd is originated from United States but Hawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia. White Shepherd may grow 27 cm / 11 inches higher than Hawaiian Poi Dog. White Shepherd may weigh 25 kg / 56 pounds more than Hawaiian Poi Dog. White Shepherd may live 6 years more than Hawaiian Poi Dog. White Shepherd may have more litter size than Hawaiian Poi Dog. White Shepherd requires Moderate maintenance. But Hawaiian Poi Dog requires Low maintenance
The German Shepherd and the white German Shepherd are the same dog - the only thing is that their coat colors vary.
The White Shepherd evolved because people were looking for a working companion dog with a high degree of intelligence and a white coat.
The development of the White Shepherd began at the time of the 19th and 20th centuries. A breeding program was started but in 1933, the white coat color was made a disqualification in the German Shepherd Dog breed standard.
Not to be deterred, it was in 1969 that the U.S. and Canada formed White German Shepherd breed clubs and the breed was actually recognized by the UKC in 1999.
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 White Shepherd is a true beauty and is a medium to large-sized dog that is muscular and strong. He stands at between 55 and 65cm in height and weighs between 35 and 40kg.
He is somewhat longer than tall. The double coat is medium length, dense, straight and white. He is a fairly heavy shedder. He has an intelligent face, a long muzzle and erect ears. The long tail is low-set.
This beautiful dog’s face tells you that he is highly intelligent. He can be easily trained. The bright eyes are eager and alert and he is ready to be an excellent guard dog and take his role as protector and guardian seriously.
The White Shepherd loves his human family and isn't overly enthusiastic around strangers. They’re playful dogs and will make great playmates for children. They also aren’t aggressive with other dogs and will get on well with other pets in the house.
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 White Shepherd is such a beautiful dog and he has some great characteristics to match his good looks.
He is friendly and amicable with his human family and is a great protector as well. He isn’t aggressive yet he makes a great watchdog.
He is loving and loyal and forms strong bonds with his human family. Bringing him into your home and heart is guaranteed to confirm the opinion held that dogs are man's best friend.
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 White Shepherd shares health problems much the same as the German Shepherd, and one of these is hip dysplasia.
These dogs are at risk of getting hip dysplasia. It’s a congenital disorder with dogs inheriting the disease from their parents. Some young dogs can get the disease too. Because they are such active dogs, the White Shepherd is at risk of dysplasia. There are a number of signs you can look for in your dog and some of these are -
Your vet may want x-rays to examine your dog's hips. Your vet will want to slow the development of the disease and also ease the pain in your pet. There are other steps the vet will suggest to you that can make it as comfortable as possible for your pet.
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 White Shepherd's weather-resistant double coat will need to be brushed regularly as he is quite a heavy shedder. When brushing him, check for ticks and fleas as well as any unusual lumps.
This beautiful dog was developed from a herding breed so he is very active. He will love a walk every day but that won’t be sufficient. He just loves ball games, and if you take him to the park, he’ll love you throwing sticks for him or the frisbee.
Because of his intelligence, he will require mental and physical stimulation. You get some toys for dogs where you can put some kibble in the toy and he has to figure out a way to get the food out.
The White Shepherd is an active dog, so to keep him that way, ensure he gets good food which has the right balance of vitamins.
There are good commercially manufactured dog foods on the market, but the idea is to know how to choose the high-quality ones and to avoid the ones that can actually jeopardize your dog’s health.
Always read the write-up on the packaging and choose according to your pet’s age and his activity levels.
It is always a good idea to give such a dog some home-made food too. Not any kind of home-made food either because you have to be careful with dogs to avoid them suffering from abdominal pain. They like their food plain and simple – boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables.
Some raw meat occasionally is also good. Don’t forget to ensure a constant supply of cool, fresh water.
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.