ure ong i ▁are ▁medium - s ized ▁sp itz - type ▁dogs , ▁but ▁are ▁larger ▁with ▁greater ▁mus cul ature ▁and ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁coat ▁pattern . ▁They ▁are ▁quite ▁uniform ▁in ▁appearance , ▁yellow ▁hair ▁and ▁mel an istic ▁mask s . ▁N ure ong i ▁are ▁most ▁often ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁liv est ock ▁dog , ▁raised ▁for ▁its ▁meat , ▁and ▁not ▁commonly ▁kept ▁as ▁p ets . ▁ ▁Pol yn esian ▁Dog ▁ ▁Hawai ian ▁Po i ▁ ▁The ▁Hawai ian ▁Po i ▁Dog ▁or ▁ ʻ ī lio ▁( ʻ ī lio ▁m ā ku ʻ e ▁for ▁brown - fur red ▁Po i ▁dogs ) ▁is ▁an ▁ext inct ▁bre ed ▁of ▁par iah ▁dog ▁from ▁Hawai i ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁Native ▁Hawai ians ▁as ▁a ▁spiritual ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁children ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁food . ▁ ▁T ah it ian ▁Dog ▁ ▁The ▁T ah it ian ▁Dog ▁or ▁ ʻ ū r ī ▁M ā ’ oh i ▁were ▁a ▁food ▁source , ▁and ▁served ▁by ▁high ▁ranking ▁chief s ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁European ▁expl or ers ▁who ▁visited ▁the ▁islands . ▁Captain ▁James ▁Cook ▁and ▁his ▁crew ▁developed ▁a ▁taste ▁for ▁the ▁dog , ▁with ▁Cook ▁not ing , ▁" For ▁t ame ▁Anim als ▁they ▁have ▁H ogs , ▁F ow ls , ▁and ▁D ogs , ▁the ▁latter ▁of ▁which ▁we ▁learned ▁to ▁E at ▁from ▁them , ▁and ▁few ▁were ▁there ▁of ▁us ▁but ▁what ▁allow