Mountain Burmese vs Hawaiian Poi Dog - Breed Comparison

Hawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia but Mountain Burmese is originated from Myanmar. Hawaiian Poi Dog may grow 33 cm / 12 inches shorter than Mountain Burmese. Hawaiian Poi Dog may weigh 54 kg / 119 pounds lesser than Mountain Burmese. Both Hawaiian Poi Dog and Mountain Burmese has same life span. Hawaiian Poi Dog may have less litter size than Mountain Burmese. Both Hawaiian Poi Dog and Mountain Burmese requires Low Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Companion dog
Sporting dog
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Indonesia
Myanmar
Height Male:
36 - 38 cm
14 - 15 inches
61 - 71 cm
24 - 28 inches
Height Female:
34 - 36 cm
13 - 15 inches
38 - 50 cm
14 - 20 inches
Weight Male:
7 - 15 kg
15 - 34 pounds
58 - 69 kg
127 - 153 pounds
Weight Female:
6 - 13 kg
13 - 29 pounds
36 - 48 kg
79 - 106 pounds
Life Span:
5 - 8 Years
6 - 8 Years
Litter Size:
3 - 5
4 - 8
Size:
Small
Giant
Other Names:
Native Hawaiian Dog, and Hawaiian Islanders’ Dog., Poi Dog, Ilio, Hawaiian Dog
Burmie
Colors Available:
any color with white markings, brown mostly
Black with white and red
Coat:
short and fine
self-cleaning, double coat
Shedding:
Minimal
Constant
Temperament:
Affectionate, Playful, Stubborn
Affectionate, Intelligent, Loving, Loyal
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Low Maintenance
Trainability:
Hard
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

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.

mountain burmeseThe Burmese Mountain Dog is quite often taken to be the Bernese Mountain Dog, a Swiss farm dog. However, the Burmese Mountain Dog comes not from Switzerland but from Myanmar and Burma. The Burmese was bred to hunt skunks and guard livestock for the northern tribesman of Myanmar. The way they hunted for the aggravating skunks was to hide themselves in the underbrush and wait for the skunk to go by. Their facial markings confuse skunks when they see him in the bush with a black and white face. At the same time, his rust color lets the hunter know he is the dog not the skunk.

The Mountain Burmese is an incredible athlete despite the size. They are agile. They are quick. They can climb trees – as many as fifty feet while chasing a skunk. They also make a great companion and love to be a family dog. They are calm and gentle as an adult and great with kids. They are easily trained but remember they can climb trees. However, they do not do well with cats that are black and white or solid black because they confuse them with the skunk prey.

Description

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.

mountain burmese puppy - descriptionThe Mountain Burmese Dog is a large, sturdy, well built and athletic canine. Strong and well balanced, he is agile and athletic when it comes to the work, he has to do in chasing skunks. He has a full body with a large head and dark, oval eyes. The Burmese has triangular ears close to his head and medium in size. With a flat, broad skull the muzzle is straight and strong. They have black noses and a scissors bite, on their muscular, strong neck. With a deep chest and broad back, they have strong ribs. Finally, the tail is bushy, long and hangs low.

Characteristics

Children friendliness

The Hawaiian Poi dog was very friendly and good with children

Special talents

The Poi was considered a good luck charm and a spiritual protector of children

Adaptability

Given what they faced in life, the Poi dog was very adaptable, living anywhere on the islands and eating anything it could find.

Learning ability

Due to their poor diet, the Hawaiian Poi dog was seriously lacking in intelligence and learning ability.

Children friendliness

mountain burmese dog - characteristicsYes, they are great with kids.

Special talents

Hunting skunks and climbing trees.

Adaptability

Yes, but they need a lot of space.

Learning

Ability is high. They are very intelligent and trainable.

Health Problems

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.

mountain burmese puppies - health problemsThe kind of health issues that most large or giant dogs have to deal with are some of the same things that this breed dealt with.

  • Hip and Elbow Dysplasia – Can cause arthritis and lameness.
  • Blood Disorders
  • Cancers -various
  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy – can cause blindness.
  • Bloat - Fatal
  • Heat Stroke – Can be fatal. Watch her in the heat.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy

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.

Feeding the adult

The adult dog was fed once or twice a day the same as Poi puppies were fed.

Points for Good Health

The Hawaiian Poi dog basically has not good health points.

Games and Exercises

The Poi dog did not need and did not get much exercise, leading to its demise.

Feeding the puppy

mountain burmese dogs - caringFeed a high quality dog food designed for large or giant puppies. Feed 3times a day 2.5 times for puppies and go easy on the treats

Feeding the adult

There is a definite tendency for these dogs to become obese. Don’t overfeed. Don’t free feed. Large breed high quality dog food should be fed 2 times a day and go easy on the treats. Watch his weight.

Points for Good Health

strength, stamina

Games and Exercises

The breed is definitely athletic and active. They love to chase and take long walks daily. They need a large yard but be careful as they can climb trees and your fence. They are great companions when backpacking and camping. If there are skunks in the area however watch out! These are hunting dogs despite their size and they would do very well in barn hunt and field trials.

Comparison with other breeds

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  26. Mountain Burmese vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
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  29. Mountain Burmese vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Mountain Burmese vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Mountain Burmese vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Mountain Burmese vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Mountain Burmese vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Mountain Burmese vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Mountain Burmese vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Mountain Burmese vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Mountain Burmese vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Mountain Burmese vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Mountain Burmese vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Mountain Burmese vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Mountain Burmese vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Mountain Burmese vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Mountain Burmese vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Mountain Burmese vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Mountain Burmese vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Mountain Burmese vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Mountain Burmese vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Mountain Burmese vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Mountain Burmese vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Mountain Burmese vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison