Caymus is a seven pound, five year old Biewer Terrier, also known as a Yorkie who lives with Cynthia and Kevin Ryan in Villa Grande. Named after one of the couple’s favorite Napa Valley wines, this sweet little canine takes his name from that brand. He originally came from a breeder in Oklahoma and the Ryan’s first sight of him was when he was only a puppy weighing three pounds.
Prior to the Ryan’s having a dog as a pet, Cynthia had cats for considerably long time periods. One of her cats lived to be twenty-two, while the other lived to age eighteen. However, in considering a pet dog Cynthia searched online at PuppySpot, which mandates a highly comprehensive, screening process to match breeders with prospective owners. Not only were the Ryans certain that their puppy would be healthy and not from a puppy mill, but PuppySpot also interviewed them to ensure they would be good pet owners. Two days before Cynthia’s birthday in 2019, Kevin and Cynthia flew from Jacksonville to Oklahoma, carrier and necessary supplies in hand, to meet their new family member. Greeting them at the airport with the breeder was their toy terrier marked with a black batman- like mask around his eyes. That dark mask gradually changed color, though, and is now a light brown color. The coloring on this compact pup is predominantly white with tan and black markings. With his little black nose and dark-brown-almost-black eyes, he is an adorable little guy.
This tricolored Yorkie is an affectionate, loyal family member. As Kevin says, “he is a social, little dude!” He enjoys meeting others, whether they are humans or other animals. If it’s not “season” Caymus may do a Michael Jackson strut asking for his treats. He also loves to lie in the middle of the road while waiting to be pet by anyone walking nearby. Three of his friends are Cannoli and Izzy, other small dogs in his neighborhood, and Coco, a neighboring dog that’s a lot bigger than him. Cynthia and Kevin keep Caymus close when they walk him because of his diminutive size. He may be tiny, but from eight months on Caymus has walked a mile or more on his walks. Sunbathing on the patio or near the front door is part of Caymus’ routine as he protects the house by aggressively barking at the doorbell or at people walking by the house. On really hot, sunny days he may prefer to scope out patches of shade. On the arrival home of Kevin (“Papa’s home”) from a game of golf, Caymus greets him by racing around the coffee table and excitedly waiting at the door.
As a puppy Caymus was a hand-full, and Cynthia and Kevin promptly enrolled him in puppy training. He now listens and follows commands well, some of which include fetch, place, sit, down, shake, twirl, high 5, and treat (of course). Caymus loves to play with his collection of crinkle-sounding and squeeze toys and while he enjoys fetching his Wubba on the patio, he has an aversion to swimming. A favorite game is burpees during which the Ryans, in an effort to tire him out, fling his Wubba back and forth between their couches without letting Caymus catch it. In the evening, a then-exhausted Yorkie sleeps on his own pillow above Cynthia’s head.
Caymus does not mind being groomed about once a month and enjoys the groomer’s indoor playground. He tends to demolish his treats before he consumes his Yorkie-mix kibble. He drinks water from a bowl but paws Cynthia when he wants more and drinks from her hand. Every morning he devours a Smart Bones bone, which helps keep his teeth healthy. For a one-time-treat of foie gras he howled in joy, and he relishes sampling a little steak or chicken occasionally.
As the saying goes, “good things come in little packages,” and this active, lovable seven pound ball of fur certainly is an adored member of the Ryan family.
