Welcome to Jill and company and also to Brian, Nicole & Sampson. I too, am pretty new to the list and the breed and have enjoyed both during my short time involved.
The feeding issue is one that we have been wrestling with since we got Beau in the middle of June at just under 7 weeks old. We have tried several different types due to getting samples, various deals offered and availability. I also did some internet research to find out about the ingredients and other pet owner opinions. Based on what I learned, we decided when all the various samples are gone, we would like to feed Beau "Canidae All Life Stage," if we could find it in our area. We didn't want to have to deal with the hassle and expense of having it shipped to us, but found it available at a local Pet Kare store.
I have been reading along with interest, the various feeding habits of others and fluctuation in amounts, depending on the season and temperature. We haven't found much of any dog food that Beau gets excited about eating. We have tried not to jump from one type to another, cold turkey, but have done so by mixing them together. The first time we took Beau to the vet at 8 weeks, we were told he was thin. That was surprising to us, due to the deceptive fur coat, he looks like a brute. As a result, I started charting his growth. He seemed to be doing okay for the first month or so, but the last week or two he hasn't shown much interest in eating his dog food. We started out just feeding him dry food, but eventually started adding about 1/4 to 1/2 a can of Canidae wet food to about 2 cups of dry food, trying to enhance his interest. He very seldom eats the whole helping right when he gets it, tending to chip away at it over a couple of hours. Based on some of the things we have read and heard from others, it appears he may end up on the small side for the breed. He's going to be loved the same no matter how big he gets, but we want to make sure we are giving him all he needs to grow up as healthy as he can. A small Great Pyrenees can still be a pretty big dog, but we can't help but wonder how he compares to the average and if we are doing all we can to help him grow up healthy and strong. About two weeks ago a "knowledgeable" Pyr breeder who saw Beau asked us if he was a dwarf?
I would welcome any feedback and suggestions regarding feeding practices and information on what the average or norm is for a male Pyr puppy at various ages.
I have include Beau's growth stats from the time we got him at about 6 1/2 weeks of age.
7 wks = 10.0 lbs.
8 wks = 13.5 lbs.
9 wks = 17.0 lbs.
10 wks = 19.5 lbs.
11 wks = 24.0 lbs.
12 wks = 27.0 lbs.
13 wks (exactly 3 months) = 30.5 lbs. and approximately 16 inches tall at the shoulders.
14 wks = 30.5 lbs. still!