Christine,
Okay, my Pyr, TJ (who is 7 1/2 yrs old) doesn't kill his food, but does toss his treats all over, pouncing and bouncing! He is hilarious to watch! My boys got a little "Thing 1" toy (from Cat in the Hat) this summer, and for some reason, TJ just went nuts over this toy------only about 4" tall. He will actually "fetch" pyr-style this toys and play with it for several minutes before he's had enough. He doesn't bother any of the boys' toys, and knows that this one is "his"......As for "killing" food, the only thing that TJ has ever done remotely like that is to push all of his food out of his dish onto the floor or into the neighboring water dish. This makes a huge mess!! He has done this on the rare occassion that I have been out of the house for most of the day for several days running------MY punishment, I guess!
As to the amount of food, TJ eats 2 1/2 cups dry Breeder's Choice (avoderm) Healthy Joint formula mixed with 1/2 can of Breeder's Choice (avoderm) Healthy Joint (has glucosamine & chondroiton in the food) daily. He is a one time a day eater, but my ACD is a "grazer". He also gets a treat from time to time, but not on a daily basis. He weighs in at 110#, but was a bony 86# two years ago when we adopted him.
Every morning we have to go through a ritual where I try to "catch" TJ while he (grinning, of course) whirls and spins just out of my reach! If anyone had ever told me that a dog of Pyr size could turn on a dime I would have thought they were craaaazy, but we have proof right here!
Phew! Guess I got it all! Happy Pyr Smiles to you all!
Debbie, TJ and Tucker (Australian Cattle Dog--12 1/2 yrs)
Parker, CO
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Hi,
My 23 month old Pyr is also a nibbler/grazer. Unfortunately he is now an only "child" after losing my 15 year old shepherd nearly a year ago. Thus, I can leave food out and not worry about anyone eating it. Cody only eats about 2 cups of dry Nutro Max a day, with about 2 tbsp of table scraps for dinner. In the morning I give him a milk bone and a couple of Nutro biscuits. He usually eats these after dinner. So, I leave it all up to him. Since he eats so little and I was concerned about his weight, we've started giving him snacks throughout the day. He is especially fond of cheese - the only food he will pick up off the floor if you drop. So, it seems that Pyrs can be quite fussy, but like a human child, they eat when they are hungry and do well.
I also empathize with having a heck of time with him when he was a pup. I'm glad I had vacation time built up at work and I took 4 weeks off when I first got him. But, in the end, the beautiful pet that I now have was well worth all the challenges. The Pyr owners on this listserv were a great help. I was told that all would pass and everyone was right! Keep up the effort - a Pyr is well worth it.
I was wondering if anyone else has experienced their Pyr "killing" their food? Cody will pounce at his milk bones and biscuits and jump back as if it bit him. He'll do this for a little while and then will eat. It is cute to see - if only I could be in his head to see what he is imagining!
Christine