Question: The Hawaiians thought an extinct breed of pariah dog, other than human consumption of the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs, were what ?
Context: The Alpine Spaniel is an extinct breed of dog which was used in mountain rescues by the Augustinian Canons, who run hospices in the region around the Great St. Bernard Pass.  The spaniel was a large dog notable for its thick curly coat.  One of the most famous specimens of the Alpine Spaniel is Barry, however his preserved body has been modified on more than one occasion to fit with descriptions of the extinct breed from earlier time periods.  Due to the conditions in the Alps, and a series of accidents, extinction was discussed as a possibility by authors during the 1830s, and at some point prior to 1847 the entire breed was reduced to a single example due to disease.  Evidence held at the Natural History Museum in Bern show that two distinct breeds of dog were being used in the area during this time period.  The breed is thought to be the predecessor to the modern St. Bernard and the Clumber Spaniel. Sighthound & Pariah Group is the name of a breed Group of dogs, used by the United Kennel Club to classify a defined collection of dog breeds. "Sighthound & Pariah Group" dogs are not all of the same dog type and may even be of different subspecies (the New Guinea Singing Dog is listed as "Canis lupus dingo".)  The Fédération Cynologique Internationale refers to Pariah dog types as "Primitive types" and places them in Group 5 with Spitz types; sighthounds have their own group, Group 10.  Other kennel clubs place most hounds together in the Hound Group, and the primitive types in other groups. The Tahitian Dog (Tahitian: ʻŪrī Mā’ohi , literally translated as 'native dog' ) is an extinct breed of dog from Tahiti and the Society Islands.  Similar to other strains of Polynesian dogs, it was introduced to the Society Islands and Tahiti by the ancestors of the Tahitian (Mā’ohi) people during their migrations to Polynesia.  They were an essential part of traditional Tahitian society; their meat was included in Tahitian cuisine and other parts of the dog were used to make tools and ornamental clothing.  Dogs were fed a vegetarian diet and served during feasts as a delicacy.  European explorers were the first outsiders to observe and record their existence, and they were served to early explorers including Captain James Cook.  The Tahitian Dog disappeared as a distinct breed after the introduction of foreign European dogs. The Hawaiian Poi Dog (Hawaiian: "ʻīlio" or "ʻīlio mākuʻe" for brown individuals) is an extinct breed of pariah dog from Hawaiʻi which was used by Native Hawaiians as a spiritual protector of children and as a source of food. A free-ranging dog is a dog that is not contained.  Free-ranging dogs include wild dogs, feral dogs, stray dogs, street dogs, and village dogs, as well as dogs allowed to come and go freely by their owners.  The term is used when distinctions of ownership are irrelevant.  It sometimes overlaps with the polysemic term "pariah dog".  It is estimated that free-ranging dogs make up 75–80% of the global dog population.  The World Health Organization reports that there are 200 million stray dogs worldwide. Monkey meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from monkeys. Human consumption of monkey meat has been historically recorded in numerous parts of the world, including multiple Asian and African nations.  Monkey meat consumption has been reported in parts of Europe and the Americas as well. Street dogs, known in scientific literature as free-ranging urban dogs or urban free-ranging dogs, are unconfined dogs that live in cities.  They live virtually wherever cities exist and the local human population allows, especially in the developing world and the former USSR.  Street dogs may be stray dogs, pets which have strayed from or are allowed freedom by their owners, or may be feral animals that have never been owned.  Street dogs may be stray purebreds, true mixed-breed dogs, or unbred landraces such as the Indian pariah dog.  Street dog overpopulation can cause problems for the societies in which they live, so campaigns to spay and neuter them are sometimes implemented.  They tend to differ from rural free-ranging dogs in their skill sets, socialization, and ecological effects. Dog meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world, including East and Southeast Asia, West Africa, Europe, Oceania and the Americas.  In the 21st century, dog meat is consumed in many parts of China, Korea, and Vietnam.  Some cultures view the consumption of dog meat as part of their traditional and day-to-day cuisine, while other cultures consider consumption of dog meat a taboo, although they have been consumed in times of war or other hardships.  It was estimated in 2014 that worldwide, 25 million dogs are eaten each year by humans. The Carolina Dog is an ancient breed of medium sized wild dog that lives mostly in the Southeastern United States.  They make good domestic pets with proper socialization and have been recently classified as a recognized Pariah and Spitz type domestic dog breed as well.  Although re-domestication of Carolina Dogs as a pet has recently become popular and the breed has been formally recognized, it is classed by the United Kennel Club in the Pariah Dog group. The Marquesan Dog or Marquesas Islands Dog is an extinct breed of dog from the Marquesas Islands.  Similar to other strains of Polynesian dogs, it was introduced to the Marquesas by the ancestors of the Polynesian people during their migrations.  Serving as a tribal totems and religious symbols, they were sometimes consumed as meat although less frequently than in other parts of the Pacific because of their scarcity.  These native dogs are thought to have become extinct before the arrival of Europeans, who did not record their presence on the islands.  Petroglyphic representations of dogs and the archaeological remains of dog bones and burials are the only evidence that the breed ever existed.  Modern dog population on the island are the descendants of foreign breeds later reintroduced in the 19th century as companions for European settlers.
Answer: spiritual protector