Overview
The Tahitian Dog, called ʻŪrī Mā'ohi, was the native dog of Tahiti and the Society Islands. It arrived with the ancestors of the Tahitian people during their ocean migrations, alongside pigs and chickens.
It was small to medium in build and held an important place in island life. The breed no longer exists as a distinct type.
History
The dogs were brought by Polynesian settlers and were closely related to the Hawaiian Poi Dog and the New Zealand Kurī. Genetic work suggests Polynesian dogs trace back to Indonesian dogs.
They were kept in households, fed on plant foods and eaten at feasts. Their teeth became fishhooks, their bones tools and their hair decorated ceremonial breast ornaments. Early explorers such as Wallis and Cook met them in the late 1700s. By 1834 the native dog was said to be extinct or lost among mixed dogs introduced from Europe.
Appearance
Accounts describe a small to medium dog about the size of a lap dog up to a large spaniel, with short legs and a long back. The head was broad, the muzzle pointed, the eyes small and the ears upright.
The smooth coat was usually brown, white or rusty yellow. The diet of soft plant foods is thought to have given the dogs round skulls and small stature.
Temperament
Early visitors described these dogs as lazy, shy and not fierce, though some found their temper poor. They rarely barked but sometimes howled, and were very wary of strangers.
Care and exercise
As the breed is extinct, there is no modern care to describe. In their own time the dogs were kept at home, often tied up, and fed on breadfruit, coconut, yams and taro.
