Arright, disbelievers. I don't know why you persist in the belief that the Xoloitzcuintli is an actual dog and the puffin hound is something I made up, so I turned to the Viking Answer Lady for guidence. This is what she said:
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The Norwegian Lundehund is the most ancient of the Nordic dog breeds. The name Lundehund means "puffin-dog" after the dog's talent for hunting seabirds. The Lundehund originates from the Lofoten Islands, specifically from the fishing village Måstad on Værøy Island. The date of origin for the breed is unknown, however scientific research indicates that the breed has been in existence since before the last Ice Age. The Lundehund survived through the glacial period in the ice-free zones, surviving by eating fish and seabirds. It is thought that the Lundehund is actually a descendant of the primeval dog, Canis forus, rather than the domesticated dog breeds, Canis familiaris.
The Lundehund was valued for its ability to hunt and catch puffins and other seabirds. Lundehunds have several special anatomical adaptations that make them particularly adept at hunting seabirds. Lundehunds are a zoological rarity by having at least six fully developed toes on each foot. They can close their ear canals at will and are able to bend their head 180 degrees backwards over their shoulders. Their legs that are extremely flexible and can be stretched straight out to the side, for greater ease in swimming or in maneuvering in the narrow crevices in Norwegian sea-side cliffs where their avian prey lives.
The Lundehund was a valuable working animal. The export of [feather] down to Schleswig in Germany was a major commercial enterprise from the Viking Age through the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition, puffins were considerted a delicacy during the Viking Age. Households on Værøy would have anywhere from two dogs to a pack of a dozen, and at one point the Lundehund's value was as great as a good milk cow. One Lundehund could capture up to 30 puffins in one night, bringing them back alive to its master. The popularity of the Lundehund waned after the introduction of nets into the local bird-hunting practices.
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http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/vik_pets.shtml#Dogs
Now some of you were able to accept that the dog was real, but balked at the idea that there is a cuter bird than a penguin. You will see from the photo evidence, that puffins are, in fact, the cutest birds.
Here's another one of a puffin in flight. Case closed.
Now some of you, and I don't blame you, believed that the dog is real, and that puffins are real, but couldn't wrap your heads around the notion of someone chowin' down on one. And to paraphrase Sam Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction, 'sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy thing.' 
In this case substitute "puffin" for "sewer rat" and "adorable" for "filthy" and you've got my feelings on it, but again, the photo evidence bears it out. Here's a pic of puffin hunter Örn Hilmisson scaling a cliff for dinner, a task that would go so much easier if he had a lundehund, but I may be missin' the point.
Now here's 20 reasons not to eat a puffin, in case you wanted to try it out:
1) Puffins are excellent swimmers.
2) The female incubates only one egg during the mating season.
3) The diet consists of sand eels, herring, hake, and capelin.
4) They drink sea water
5) Puffins are not in any way related to the penguin, even though they have similar characteristics.
6) Puffins can live up to 20 years in the wild.
7) Their main predators are the great black-backed gull and man.
8) Puffins are faithful lovers – they stay together and mate for life.
9) The puffin’s beak, or bill, is dull in winter and brightly coloured in spring. After the breeding season is over, they shed part of it.
10) Puffins often ‘kiss’ or what is known as ‘billing’ their partners.
11) Their black and white feathers are waterproof.
12) They can dive as deep 60 metres (200 feet).
13) Baby puffins use an outside toilet so as to not soil their feathers or bed.
14) Puffins live in burrows in the ground or cliff faces.
15) A baby puffin is called a "puffling."
16) Puffins stand about 25cm (10 inches) tall.
17) Among the best places to watch Puffins are the Scottish Highlands – John O’Groats, Durness, and Sutherland all have puffin populations.
18) There are three species of puffin. Two species, the Tufted Puffin and Horned Puffin, are found in the North Pacific Ocean, while the Atlantic Puffin is found in the North Atlantic Ocean.
19) They can fly up to 70mph (approx 110kph) and beat their wings 400 times per minute.
20) Puffins are not an endangered species but millions die due to oil spillages, (they get sick from ingesting it when they clean it off), trash in the sea, and over-fishing. Over-fishing is very threatening when there aren't enough fish for the adult Puffin to feed its chicks.
Check out Marie Milton’s list at: http://scienceray.com/biology/zoology/facts-about-puffins/
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