My yorkie backyard

What do you want to blog about Lucy?

2010-08-20T16:44:00.001+02:00

My yorkies really make my days and... nights! They are so much fun to have around. First of all, they are extremelly cute and I cannot resist them! I need to hug them non stop! Each has its won charm. Birk is adorable, but Lucy, how can I describe this little princess? Recently she has shown interest in my computer screen!

When I go to bed at nights, they pay close attention to all my movements and when I go upstairs they follow me with hopes to be allowed on my bed. When they are clean enough, I let them be with me for a while and they simply love it and relax immediately after jumping into the bed.

What I find extremelly sweet is the way Lucy lies down in a curl format, becoming even smaller than she already is!

Sweeet dreams Birk!!!

Cows are cool, Lucy!

2010-08-13T21:17:00.001+02:00

Nearby where we live there are farms. Yes, Norway is like this. You don't need to go far to find farmland and...cows. So, there is an area where I like to take the dogs for a walk which is a place like this. I call it "Tuscany" because of the green fields. In sunny days it reminds me of Tuscany.

Whenever the cows are loose and we have to pass by them, I walk fast and many times the dogs are behind me. Birk is careful and walks very close to me, but Lucy, she gets stuck and does not dare to pass where there is a cow looking at her. And when she stops, the cows get even more curious and start approaching to see "what is going on". Today was another such day. I managed to take a few pictures with my mobile phone.

Visit from Ålesund

2010-08-01T15:55:00.002+02:00

Today Birk and Lucy are expecting the visit of their cousin Lotta from Ålesund :) It is going to be exciting to see how they will react,specially Lucy, because Lotta will spend two whole days here.

Julia was in Ålesund herself for almost 3 weeks for the summer vacations. Below are pictures of her reunion with the doggies

I think she missed them! :)

My Yorkie Backyard x My Italian Side

2010-07-14T13:39:00.003+02:00

Photo Credit: Mimi K.

It's been a while since I last posted. This because I have been very occupied with My Italian Side, which is my other blog and all the matters related to it, which has to do with me following lots of procedures, including having spent almost all of June in Italy, to have my Italian citizenship recognised.
Anyway, back to dog talk :) A lot has happend. Lucy will be 9 months on July 21st! She had her first period last May and she is growing to be an adorable little obedient lady. She and Birk are still the best of friends and inseparable. Her weight now is 2.6kgs and she eats reasonably well. She is also now completely house trained.
Birk continues to be a darling, as usual, and also very grumpy when he has his favourite bone in his mouth :)
Below some recent pictures of the darling ones :

Glamour: Birk and Lucy have new haircut! :)

2010-05-16T14:05:00.001+02:00

Two weeks ago my yorkies went to the hairdresser for a new look. We would much rather cut their hair ourselves, but somehow it had proved to be a bit complicated. Then I thought, what the heck, let us take them to a proper hairdresser only this time and see how it goes later. Birk got a very cute look and much nicer than with the long hair. Lucy's hair was cut mostly in her body keeping the hair long in her face, for the cute laces etc. I'll post more pictures later, where the new look can better be seen.

If a Dog were Your Teacher ...

2010-04-27T16:38:00.006+02:00

If a dog were your teacher, you would learn things like this:

Whe somebody you love arrives home, you run to meet him/her
Never lose an opportunity to go out for a stroll
Allow yourself to experience the fresh air on your face
Show others when they are invading your territory
Take a nap in the middle of the day and a do good stretch before getting up
Run, jump and play everyday
Try to get along well with your neighbour and let people touch you
Don't bite when a simple snarl does the trick!
In hot days, stop and roll on the ground, drink a lot of liquid and lie under the shadow of a tree
When you feel happy, dance and shake all your body
It doesn't matter how many times you have been hurt, do not feel guilty...come back and make up again
Enjoy the pleasure of a long walk
Feed yourself dearly and with enthusiasm
Eat only enough
Be loyal
Do not pretend to be what you are not
and the most importrant of all...
When somebody is nervous or sad, stay silent, be close and show that you are there to comfort.
True friendship does not accept copies!

Spring Sun!

2010-04-10T13:45:00.002+02:00

Finally sunny days, blue skies and warmer breezes have reached us! We can now go for long walks with the yorkies in the afternoon, after coming home from work. The day light time lasts long, allowing us these "luxuries" of free time.

Below are Mathea, Julia's friend and her doggie, Aila.

Aila loves to play with Birk and Lucy

Second dosage rabies vaccine

2010-04-06T17:28:00.005+02:00

Today we have been to the vet for the doggie's second dosage of the rabies vaccine. First it was Lucy and while she was having her vaccine, we told Birk to wait sitted on the chair, which he did very nicely. See below. He is so obedient, our little boy!

Then, after both were vaccinated they got two important EU passports :)

We took the chance and talked to the vet about Birk's weight after the castration. Before being castrated he weighed 3.800kgs, now he weighs 4.700kgs :(

So, now Birk is officially on a "diet". I bought new light dog food for him from Hill's to help him out and we are also trying to exercise him lots.

Cozy moments

2010-04-05T17:31:00.001+02:00

We all have cozy moments with our yorkies. They offer us some work, but also undeniable pleasures, love and coziness. In the end, it's worth all the extra work they represent.

The Cat

2010-04-02T10:30:00.014+02:00

We left home to the take the doggies out for a run. Just in front of our house, I asked Chris to take a picture of me and Lucy, to show my new hair cut and colour.

We walked to a nearby fotball field and on the way there was a cute cat, which Lucy got interested in knowing a little more about. Birk was not near them at this point.

At the fotball field, I thought it would be a good idea to have another picture of me taken with both dogs this time. :)

Then, after a while, who comes right into where we were with the dogs? The cat! Birk sees it this time and runs after it! .

Lucy joins Birk in the chase and the cat runs for its life and climbs on the tree to get rid of Birk and Lucy!

Oh, what an adventurous day it has been!!

Car trips

2010-03-31T18:29:00.001+02:00

I have been away. It's not easy to always be inspired to write on a Blog if you do not have something really inspiring to say. Things always happen, days go by and we are all rotating or going forward, who knows? :) Anyway, I wanted to talk about the dog seat I bought some time ago for my yorkies. Birk loves to go on car trips, but Lucy is still...a child :) She is everywhere in the car. She can't relax like Birk does. The chair seems to be nice though. It is high enough for them to be able to see out the window. Birk, however, has chosen to take a nap so far whenever we are driving. Have a look at the shots! :)

Holes in My Yorkie Backyard :)

2010-03-21T17:02:00.001+01:00

Yes, I have read everywhere that yorkies are natural diggers and this I have had the chance to experience many times here in our backyard! What a drag that is! :) I thought Birk would grow out of it, that this was a puppy thing, but look at the photos!

Lucy also enjoys it tremendously! Before Lucy's arrival we had lots of holes in our garden, now, multiply that by two! The drawback is, we have to prevent them from being free in our large grass garden or at least to be there unsupervised.

Is there anything one can do to stop that? Any "recipe"? :) How do your yorkies behave in your gardens?

Birk - 4,5kg - too heavy?

2010-03-20T20:37:00.004+01:00

I have been trying to find out if my Birk boy is too heavy. We have noticed that after he was castrated his appetite improved considerably. But, some other factors might have influenced.

Since after his operation in January, for example, we have been having a harsh winter, which means no looong walks with him. In December, we bought Lucy and he became very interested in her puppy food (Royal Canine). Now it seems that Lucy's puppy food is the best food on earth and he always manages to eat a little of it everyday. I feed him 60 grams of Royal Canine Junior twice a day. He still eats Junior because he does not like the adult food. He also became one year old last February.

Have a look at the slide show above and tell me what you think? Does he need to go on a diet? :)

Outside photos, finally!

2010-03-15T18:06:00.002+01:00

The weather is beginning (very slowly) to get better in our part of the world. Yesterday, Sunday, it started out bad, with snow. Then, in the afternoon, sun!! We thought it could be a good chance for a different walk (warmer) with the dogs and there we went. But, a freezing wind was blowing. Too bad. Anyway, we got the chance for a few nice outside photos with Birk and Lucy. See below!

Vaccination against rabies.

2010-03-10T20:56:00.003+01:00

Today Birk and Lucy have been vaccinated against rabies. Here in Norway as I wrote earlier, this is a different process. The vaccine is given twice, with a space of 4 weeks in between the two vaccines and 4 months later a blood test is carried out to make sure the vaccine really worked. After that we can travel happily around Europe with our beloved yorkies and enjoy different landscapes! At the same time, the vet weighed them both. Lucy is 1.950kg and Birk 4.500kg!!

Team Rogaland - Yorkie day!

2010-03-06T16:33:00.004+01:00

Below I mentioned the Team Bergen, that supports Julie's work and do things together, organise encounters and other stuff. I know the yorkie owners and yorkie lovers in the Oslo area organise yorkie meetings, such as Yorkie day as well. I am eager to do something similar in my part of the world, Rogaland, more specifically Stavanger, if possible. Do you have a yorkie and live in Rogaland? Please introduce yourself!!!! Let's do something together with our yorkies now that spring is at the door! Let's create a team! :)

Chairs :)

2010-03-05T22:31:00.003+01:00

Being a dog godmother/godfather

2010-03-04T18:11:00.009+01:00

I am still so well impressed by the work Julie does in Spain that I always visit her site to see the pictures of the dogs waiting for adoption and read her news. I learned today that one can be a "fadder" (godfather/godmother from a distance as well, by donating a small sum of money once or for a short or long period of time for one of the dogs at her rescue home. I also found news about the people that I understand centralise the contact for the dog adoptions here in Norway, called Team Bergen (text in Norwegian). They also have a group in Facebook.

Nanie

2010-02-28T19:25:00.009+01:00

I got to know about a very noble lady in Spain called Julie, that is retired and dedicates her life now helping dogs in need, rescuing them. My sister-in-law bought a dog from her. As far as I understand she cooperates with a another lady in Norway (possibly in other places too) who, on behalf of this lady, places ads in Finn.no, looking for possible buyers. The price charged is used to pay for Vet expenses and the ticket to send the dogs here, so it is a reasonable price. The dogs vary in age and breed.

My heart broke today when I read an ad in Finn.no for a 5 year old female yorkie called Nanie (shown in the picture)whose former owners decided they could not have her anymore and took her to the Vet to be put to sleep. The Vet, feeling sorry for the Nanie, contacted Julie who took care of her and is now trying to find her a new home. It is a very sad story, I think. I admire Julie's efforts in finding new homes for these dogs and I wanted to make sure I mentioned her here.

Friendship and closeness

2010-02-28T15:19:00.004+01:00

See these two best friends sharing a Sunday "siesta"...All the time I witness beautiful moments between them! I feel so happy that they have one another to play with, to sleep together with and feel each other's warmth. It was a wise decision to buy a second yorkie. No regrets at all!

Taking yorkies for a drive.

2010-02-27T09:49:00.005+01:00

No, the picture above is not Birk on a car trip!!! It only shows how dogs should NOT be seated in a car! Birk loves to go on car trips, but so far we have been using his bag carrier to transport him. In his bag he is positioned at the bottom of the car floor and cannot see anything. It would be much nicer if he could be positioned in such a way that he could look out the window, like all dogs like it! That goes for Birk and Lucy, naturally.

With this thought in mind I decided to try one modell of car seat first and see how it works with Lucy to begin with (she is still a puppy and faces more difficulties to look out). I realise I can't put both dogs in this one, though. So I have to see. Anybody out there that has experiences with this same type of dog car seat and would be willing to share them with me? I would really appreciate it!

I am looking for Yorkie Blogs! Do you have one?

2010-02-25T15:24:00.003+01:00

I am looking for other people that blog about yorkies! Are you this person? Please write me a comment with a link to your blog or site! Please share!!!
Thank you!! :))

Fleas in Norway?

2010-02-24T19:55:00.006+01:00

I think most people will have experienced fleas at some point in their lives. It is a horrible thing and it is even worse when the fleas get off the dogs/cats and onto their owner's beds! I can't recall having had a dog in the past which did not have fleas. Maybe this is the case in Brazil, or Rio de Janeiro for that matter. In other words all my 3 previous dogs had fleas, no matter how clean we kept them. One lived in the city and the other two in the country side. Some people used to say the streets of Rio are dirty and this caused the fleas. But the other two were running wild in the forests! When they turned their bellies up, I could normally see the fleas parading...
Here in Norway, however, I have not seen (thank Goodness) any dogs with fleas, neither in my husband's family dogs or mine! I really think this is so amazing, not to say refreshing!!!
Obviously this has something to do with the weather etc, but today I read in a Blog from Sweeden about the seasons when the fleas are most common there: Early summer (bird fleas), late summer (hedgehog fleas ) and autumn(bird fleas and cat fleas). I have done a quick research in the internet trying to find out what the incidence of fleas in Norway is but I could not find any relevant result. What is your experience in Norway/your country? Do you have to live with this plague? Tell me all! :)

Snowy Stavanger - cold for yorkies (and for me!)

2010-02-22T20:59:00.004+01:00

We have had snow now for a looong time now! So, going for a walk with the doggies is not as nice as it could be, had we had a bit less snow! I feel sorry for Lucy, now 4 months old, walking in the snow with her short legs! :) And she really freezes! There are some sunny days though and we must be quick to go out before the sun goes away. On one of those days I took this nice picture of Lucy.

Yorkies in Norway and abroad!

2010-02-19T18:34:00.000+01:00

I had this thought that it would be so nice to gather and publish here as many pictures as possible of all the "online yorkies" in Norway and abroad! I could post the pictures one by one here in my Blog and give a short presentation of them. Do you think this is a good idea? If you do, please send me a picture and a short presentation of your yorkie, like, name, location, favorite pass times and food etc. I guess that would be a lot of fun for all involved!! Please send the photo and text by email to rtorvnes@gmail.com
I am truly looking forward to that! We are waiting! :)

Confession to make!

2010-02-18T18:25:00.000+01:00

I have to admit to something I find terrible, being the owner of two yorkies: I do not know how to groom them! All my attempts have been complete failure! Taking them to a Dog hairdresser costs NOK 500 (about US 45) for each of them, each time! So, I trust my husband to cut their fur and nails...when he has the time and remembers to do it...Bah! This is not enough and I feel guilty to look at Birk, who already has long fur (Lucy still has puppy look) that he does not have the cool and neat hair cut I would like him to have. How do you solve this problem? Do you have a story to tell or pictures to show? Please share them with me! Good tips are always welcome!

February 12th - Birk - Happy Birthday!!!

2010-02-12T20:14:00.001+01:00

Vote for Lucy!

2010-02-08T19:14:00.008+01:00

Just for fun really, I signed up Lucy for a photo contest in a magazine called Modern Dog. If she manages to have the majority of the votes, she will be featured as "Dog of the Week" in the homepage of moderndogmagazine.com AND will have a chance to appear in an upcoming issue of Modern Dog Magazine. I want to give her a chance! If you also think she deserves to win, please vote for her HERE!

Dog Family outside My Yorkie Backyard

2010-02-06T10:51:00.003+01:00

Birk and Lucy have two cousins, Sara, a beautiful 13 year old Westie and now very recently, Lotta, a Spanish mix, 9 months old. They live in Ålesund, so, unfortunately Lucy and Birk cannot play often with them. Anyway, they are all part of the Yorkie Backyard Family! The beauty holding Lotta is Emma, Julia's cousin :) (Hello to you from Stavanger!)

Yorkie King!

2010-02-05T18:18:00.006+01:00

How do yorkies see themselves? I am not sure about all yorkies, but I do know how my male yorkie Birk sees himself...He sees himself as a lion! :) Birk seems to be oblivious of his size and he shows a lot of braveness, edging aggression sometimes! He knows what he wants and when he does not want to be disturbed, he knows pretty well how to make himself understood! He also feels it is his duty to look after the house and every little noise he is there, alert, like a true watchdog!
It is really cute to see such braveness in a small dog! He is our Yorkie King and as a King he rules our hearts! He is also extremely affectionate and loyal and smartly knows how to combine his lion and pussycat nature. What a lovely creature he is. Check out some other pictures of this Lion Yorkie King :)

Yorkie fashion Show :)

2010-02-01T18:10:00.005+01:00

It's crazy what the market sells as clothes for toy dogs or lap dogs like the yorkies, for example. They are cute, they are small, why not make them look like dolls, they might think. I do not know how well it sells, it sure looks cute in the pictures, but I do not think the dogs appreciate so much production. I think a dog t-shirt or a coat for cold days should be the limit. See for yourself :)

Lucy afraid to go down the stairs :)

2010-01-31T16:21:00.002+01:00

I had to post one more video of Lucy, this time outside with day light, where it is possible to see her well. Isn't she a cute princess yorkie girl? She is!!!!

Snowy days and Aila

2010-01-31T14:10:00.001+01:00

The snow had stopped, but came back and made everything white and difficult to walk on again. Christian tried to clean the Yorkie Backyard a little, so that the dogs do notdive into the snow and come inside again all soaking wet! Birk and Lucy also had Aila visitting today. Lucy gets all submissive and very low profile when Aila is here and Aila is very curios to sniff her :) The slideshow shows a bit of all this I am talking about :)

Lucy barking :)

2010-01-30T20:17:00.002+01:00

Lucy gets real crazy when I give her and Birk one of those small chewable shoes. When Birk manages to take the shoe away from her, she complains a lot! Have a look! :)

Lucy making progress in going on a leash

2010-01-30T13:02:00.001+01:00

Two good girls: Julia and Lucy! Julia is doing a good job in training Lucy to go on a leash and today both girls made good progress. Julia used a treat to encourage Lucy to go forward and she managed!! Lucy even ran a little bit and did not seem bothered by the leash anymore. I am happy with the result!

Yorkie training!

2010-01-27T18:03:00.001+01:00

Today I saw a video on you tube that really impressed me. Her name is Rosy Craig and she has a lovely yorkie named Beau. In the video he was a puppy of about 3-4 months old (don't know how old he is now) and she did a wonderful job training him. I want to share this video with all of you here for you to see what great potential our yorkies have!

Scrapblogging - First attempt!

2010-01-25T19:48:00.002+01:00

This is my first attempt at "scrapblogging". Scrapblogging derives from scrapbooking, which is no more no less than having a photo album and decorating it with bits and pieces of cute things, other than the photos themselves. Normally this was done with real photos and real pieces of decorated paper. Now, however, the trend has passed on to the virtual world and you can do the same thing with digital pictures and digital decorations. I think it is very cute and I enjoy it dearly. So, today nothing to specially talk about, except the cuteness of my yorkies :)

Shower and coziness :)

2010-01-24T19:09:00.011+01:00

Lucy had her second shower today, just after Birk had his. So, both are smelling deliciously good and with a very soft fur! After the shower, some warm and cozy moments... Check it out! (only few pictures)

Teaching Lucy how to walk on a leash

2010-01-23T19:50:00.005+01:00

We tried to take Lucy out today walking on a leash. We have been postponing this day because of the extreme cold weather we have been having since we brought Lucy home. She seems to feel really cold outside!! Anyway, not an easy task to get puppies used to the leash. We went through the same with Birk and he masters the walk prefectly now. However, it seems we have to learn it all over again in order to do it with Lucy. It was easier with Birk because we brought him home in the spring time and it was consequently more pleasant to be out.

I saw these two videos today with simple tips on how to get puppies used to the leash and I think it is worth it having a look at them. Video 1 and video 2. Good luck!

Vaccines and travels abroad

2010-01-18T17:49:00.007+01:00

Lucy was vaccinated with the second dosage of the parvo vaccine today, at the same time that I took Birk to have his stiches removed at the vet. Next is to vaccinate both of them against rabbies, in case we want to travel abroad with them. Norway is considered a rabbies free country, meaning rabbies no longer exists here. In other words, dogs that stay only in Norway do not need to be vaccinated against it.

However, if we want to travel with our dogs, for example, to Italy, the authorities in Norway demand that the dogs be vaccinated against rabbies and it is a loooong procedure which we must think well in advance. See why:

Day one - First vaccine
4 weeks later - Second vaccine
120 days later - Blood test to check the vaccine really worked

Only after that would we be able travel with the dogs. Additionally, the dog owner must have a passport issued for the dog (by the Vet) like the one below.

To avoid such problems as knowing 6 months in advance if we should start the rabbies vaccination process or not, I think it is much easier to just assume we will travel and have them vaccinated every year. After all, we bought small dogs also to have the "freedom" to take them with us anywhere! (Anywhere being only the EU). We could not take them to Brazil and come back, before having them in quarantine for about 4-6 months to make sure they did not bring the rabbies back to Norway with them.

Lucy's Update

2010-01-16T19:44:00.006+01:00

I had been concerned by Lucy's appetite, but it seems she is growing fine. See the development in her weight below:

01 jan 1.050
07 jan 1.150
14 jan 1.340

Seems quite okay actually! Also, today she had her first shower! She was quite silent to begin with and complained only a little when I washed her face. All in all, however, I think she quite enjoyed it! I tried to take many pictures, but what a frustration!! I am a bad photographer and do not know how to operate well enough my sony pocket camera... Shame on me, I know!! But at least I managed to salvage a couple of photos just after I had dried her.

How to draw a Yorkie :) Press Play!

2010-01-16T18:20:00.003+01:00

Finally getting better!

2010-01-15T19:18:00.003+01:00

Birk is getting much better now and beginning to be his real self again. For one whole week he lay on his bed like a real patient, just getting off it when we had to take him out to pee and poo. All the rest of the time he was lying down, as if he knew (maybe he did) he should rest and take it easy. He ate and drank from his bed too!! Now I see him playing with Lucy again and both running again all over the house. Thank God! Lucy has been close to him all the time and whenever possible joined him on his bed and stayed as close as possible. On Monday, January 18th, he will have the stiches removed. Welcome back to us dear Birk!!

Broken hearted...

2010-01-09T19:42:00.008+01:00

When we bought Birk he was 3 months old. We were very anxious to have a yorkie and it was not easy to find one available nearby or so soon as we wanted. So, when Chris went to fetch him in Oslo and the breeder told him he had only one testicle, that did not seem important or urgent enough for us. The breeder also told us that the missing testicle might still drop. So, we were happy with that. As time went by, however, and having acquired the dog-owner point of view, I started to research on the matter and everywhere I read about it the same thing was said: male puppies that do not have the two testicles by 12 weeks old, very rarely will have them later. This condition is called Cryptorchidism. In Birk's case, the missing testicle had "disappeared" into his abdomen and the operation (which took place Jan 7th) was more intrusive than we had hoped. So, we brought home a very scared Birk who has been having tough days so far. We feel very sad with all this and hope this phase will go over soon and that we can put it behind us once and for all.

Good Boy (and handsome) Birk!

2010-01-04T21:49:00.002+01:00

Birk doing the paw trick (shake hands)

Birk being handsome :)

Here is a cool link that gives tips on how to teach your dog some tricks!

Wordless Saturday

2010-01-02T19:50:00.003+01:00

1.050 grams of sweetness!

2010-01-02T19:34:00.000+01:00

Today we weighed Lucy and she is now 1,050grams. I have been concerned about her eating because she hasn't been eating much since we brought her from Denise. This stresses me a little. I know dogs do not starve themselves to death, but she is a puppy and she needs to eat! Last time I weighed her was on Christmas Eve and she was 860 grams. Anyway, today I tested to give her food after soaking it in warm water for 10 minutes. It worked and she showed a great interest in eating. I'll try again later today in her last meal and see what happens :)

Sweet Princess Lucy

2010-01-01T17:01:00.005+01:00

Goodbye 2009 and welcome 2010!

2009-12-31T14:24:00.002+01:00

Yes, 2009 was a special year in our lives dogwise. From having no dogs at all, to two dogs all of a sudden! In the beginning of the year we started considering the possiility of having one since our daughter Julia (9 then) wanted one so very much. We did not know which dog would suit us best, but after advice from my mother-in-law, we decided a yorkie would be a good choice. It was not easy to find a yorkie in Stavanger and after a long research about safe places to buy a yorkie from, I found Kennel Oxzar in Oslo. In May 21st 2009 we brought Birk home. We all wanted a female yorkie, but there was none to be found then. So, Birk came and filled our lives with many happy moments. We fell in love with the breed too. It's so perfect! Small, inteligent, loving and extremelly cute!

Although we already had Birk, I kept looking in Finn.no for yorkie offers. It was then I learned about Denise and her forthcoming puppies. It was a nice coincidence in all respects, because besides having one available female yorkie I got know she was a Brazilian like me! Nobody at home wanted to have a second dog, but I was too tempted at the thought of having a "little yorkie girl" And so it happened and we are very pleased with her. It was a bit tricky to start with, since Birk was a bit jealous etc, but now they are best friends and it is delightful to see them together.

So, we start 2010 with two dogs and we hope for the best! I look forward to spring time and summer when we can enjoy them even more and have good times outside!

Cold, but also cozy!

2009-12-30T17:04:00.000+01:00

We are having a "cold wave" here in Norway and the weather forecast says it will last until the middle of January 2010!! Right now we have minus 8 degrees C outside. Not easy!! So, the solution is to stay inside, light candles and fires and look for someone to lean up against. The doggies are doing the same. See the pictures :)

More pictures from tonight!

2009-12-28T22:17:00.000+01:00

Birk and Lucy, best friends!

2009-12-28T20:07:00.000+01:00

These two have been filling our lives with lovely, precious and funny moments. It is impossible not to want to photograph each and every interesting thing they do. Pity I don't have a professional camera, which would allow me to really catch such moments in a quicker way. But, i do my best with the one I have and hope the results shown here can give you an idea of what I am talking about.

Lucy and Birk on a snow trip

2009-12-27T18:05:00.001+01:00

We all went for a walk this afternoon and Birk and Lucy came along. I tried Lucy on the ground a bit, but I think she thought it was a bit too cold and so I carried her part of the way, wrapped in a blanket. The rest of the time she was in her transport bag. We did stop for a picture though! :)

Getting better all the time!

2009-12-27T14:44:00.000+01:00

We have had nice Christmas holidays and the days have mostly been filled with joys around Birk and Lucy. Birk seems to have fallen in love with her now and she seems to highly enjoy his presence. They play a lot together and chase each other around the house. Sometimes we must tell Birk to slow down a bit when he gets too excited with the playing and "bites" her a little too hard. But she is the first to cry out stop to him!
When one is quiet, the other comes teasing and vice-versa. :) When she is tired, she just retreats and takes a rather long nap in the cage. Then I close it so she can have peace and quiet.

We weighed her yesterday and it showed she is one kilo now! I must weigh her again to have this confirmed though. She hasn't been a great eater since she came and this is why I felt a bit suprised at an increase of 150 grams in 6 days? Maybe this is possible, though.

She has also been very good "to wait" to pee outside. She doesn't ask to go out, but we take her out at frequent intervals, after sleeping, playing and eating and she does it immediately when out. We have had "accidents", though, with nr.2 :)

As to her nights, she has been sleeping by my side of the bed, in her transport bag. Yesterday she slept non stop from 01:30am to 07:00 o'clock. That was quite an improvement! Below some pictures from the last days.

Christmas highlights!

2009-12-25T16:25:00.001+01:00

Merry Christmas to all from My Yorkie Backyard!

2009-12-24T15:49:00.005+01:00

Things are going well between Birk and Lucy!

2009-12-23T23:11:00.002+01:00

The pictures say it all :)

Adapting...

2009-12-22T19:04:00.001+01:00

It's two days now since Lucy arrived and things are moving forward, but slowly. Birk and her do play sometimes but most of the time Birk is being a bit jealous and territorial. Lucy also seems to be missing her brothers a little. She has cried the last couple of nights and sleeps several times per day, but for short periods. All this is normal and we know it will pass. In the meantime we also have lots of cozy moments together. Ah, and her weight was 850 grams upon her arrival!

Lucy and Julia - a love story!

2009-12-21T17:19:00.003+01:00

Birk and Lucy play!

2009-12-21T17:13:00.002+01:00

Birk and Lucy meet!

2009-12-21T16:54:00.002+01:00

Birk experienced snow today!

2009-12-19T13:07:00.005+01:00

It finally started snowing in Stavanger and Birk's friend, Aila, came here and invited him for a walk :)

This was Birk's first real snow experience since he was little puppy, still with his breeder, Nina. I think he enjoyed it. Or what do you think? :)

Lucy being checked at the Veterinary

2009-12-18T14:51:00.000+01:00

Little Lucy and her brothers have been to the Vet for the first check after their birth and before they go to their new owners. At the point they are chipped with an ID number, vaccinated and everything being fine the Vet issues a health certificate for them. Above you can see Lucy in the vet's hands. ;)

Lucy - "dressed to kill" :)

2009-12-17T16:50:00.002+01:00

On Sunday, December 20th I am heading to Oslo to fetch Lucy! Big moment for all in the house, especially for Birk! I am also curious to see my daughter Julia's reaction. She has been contrary to the idea of a second dog from day one. She thinks it is unfair to Birk, whom she believes will feel less loved. So, it will be exciting to see how this develops, when she sees Lucy "in person"...

Yorkie Art

2009-12-12T22:26:00.001+01:00

My first contact with Lucy!

2009-12-12T12:39:00.008+01:00

I was in Oslo last week and I took the chance to visit Denise, Lucy's breeder. What a lovely visit it was, although rather short! Her dogs Arnold and Fiesta are beautiful and adorable!! The puppies I have no words to describe, cute as puppies can be! I was thrilled to meet Lucy and as Denise said it, I think it was love at first sight! Our next meeting is scheduled for December 29th, when I will bring Lucy home!

Lucy's first contact with the snow!

2009-12-09T13:16:00.005+01:00

(click on the image to see it bigger)

I have said before that Lucy is curious, but maybe a better word would be adventurous! Her breeder, Denise, told me that yesterday she opened her varanda door and the puppies were nearby... The three boys stayed where they were, but Lucy ventured herself outside and stepped on the snow for the very first time! :)

I find her to be lovely, even before I have seen her in person, which, by the way, will happen tomorrow! I am in Oslo today on a business trip and tomorrow I will travel one hour by train to go and see Lucy where she presently lives. It will be so nice! I'll take the chance and leave with Denise the travel bag I have bought for Lucy (exactly like Birk's) where I hope Denise can start to place her inside now and then for her to get used to it.

Birk's favourite toys - Part II

2009-12-07T15:10:00.009+01:00

Birk l-o-v-e-s- it when I give him the Kong toy. The Kong toy, as most dog owners will know, is a rubber toy with a small opening in which you can stuff goodies for the dog. The idea is that the dog will spend some time trying to get the goodies out of it, have fun and give the owners some free time :)

At first I was stuffing the Kong with dog goodies and I did not like the idea of having him eat so much of it. Then, a bright idea occurred to me and I started stuffing the Kong with Birk's own dog food. This proved to be extra popular! Now he has lots of fun dropping the Kong from his mouth on the floor and seeing his food spread out . He tries to quickly eat it, just in case any other "interested parties" show up and also want to have a bite. :))

A glimpse of everyday life in Norway 1500 years ago

2009-12-06T15:54:00.009+01:00

We have taken a trip to the Iron Age farm at Ullandhaug, Stavanger. The Iron Age Farm is a reconstructed farm from the migration period, about 350-550 AD. It is located at the top of a hill in this place called Ullandhaug, 3km from the center of Stavanger. From the top one can have a fantastic view! An archeological excavation of the farm took place in 1967-68. The reconstructed farm buildings were later erected on their original sites. Birk enjoyed walking around there! Below you can see the two of us appreciating the view under a lot of wind!! :)

Dad (front), Mom and little daughter Lucy!

2009-12-04T13:07:00.011+01:00

They are all very pretty, aren't they? :)

Dog Phillosophy

2009-12-03T13:04:00.004+01:00

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face...

(Bern Williams)

Birk's favorite toys - part 1

2009-12-01T14:57:00.006+01:00

When we bought Birk, the breeder gave us the usual puppy package items, like puppy food, brochures, a blanket still with the puppies' mom smell etc. He also brought with him one of his puppy toys ( a small teddy bear) which he used to play with before coming to us. To the present date Birk still loves the said teddy bear and it is very sweet to see him with it. We will try to keep it as long as possible!

Dogs x Buddha

2009-11-26T13:19:00.010+01:00

According to the famous Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, we should all learn from our dogs. He then goes on and offers us a list of what our dogs can teach us:

Live in the moment

Nurture a balanced life

Trust your instintcs

Be direct and consistent in your communication

Learn to listen

Don't hold grudges

Live with purpose

Celebrate every day

To me the list above has a lot in common with buddhist teachings and I think it is great that it is this way. I like the buddhist philosophy very much and also Cesar Millan's approach to dogs and life in general. Both very healthy! A head bow to Cesar and to Birk :)

Dog philosophy... :)

2009-11-25T20:02:00.001+01:00

(Yorkie) art is to be appreciated!

2009-11-24T13:08:00.007+01:00

I love to post beautiful pictures in my blog and not only real life pictures but paintings, illustrations etc that inspire me. It's even nicer when this art portraits so very well our beloved yorkies, in all their glamour and beauty, like the artist from this painting has managed to depict. Her name is Cheryl Dubois. Check out other paintings done by her here.

How tough can Yorkies be? Heroes!

2009-11-23T14:18:00.005+01:00

Yorkies are always surprising me. Today I learnt about Smoky, a female yorkie who weighed 1.8 kilos and was a World War II hero! She was found by a 21-year-old American Air Force official William A. Wynne, who was stationed in New Guinea during World War II. When he first saw her, he fell in love immediately, even though he could not tell what kind of dog she was. He taught her many tricks and she entertained troops in camps and hospitals from Australia to Korea. It was not long before she became a hero . . . You can read a bit more about Smoky here.

Curious Lucy!

2009-11-20T20:30:00.004+01:00

My little princess is growing so quickly! See how "big" she looks one day before she turns one month old! In this picture she is curious to see the puppy package that Denise, her breeder, was preparing to give to the lucky puppy owners who are taking the them home soon, me included, of course! :)

Birk in love?

2009-11-19T21:09:00.004+01:00

When Aila, our neighbour's pequinese dog had her first heat period last month, it was also the first time Birk experienced being nearby a female dog in such conditions. He got very restless and cried for periods. During one of these days, he suprised us with the following "power ballad". Press play to check it out :)

Birk got another sweater!

2009-11-19T19:43:00.001+01:00

Here is the second sweater my mother-in-law knitted for Birk. I have not yet managed to do anything myself. Too bad!

Hello Birk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-17T14:39:00.002+01:00

Does my yorkie need to wear clothes?

2009-11-16T12:20:00.010+01:00

I have received some "reaction" from some people that think it must be uncomfortble to dress yorkies or dogs in general. The argument is that by nature they should already be "equipped" with what they need to face cold weather. But, we don't dress yorkies to make them look cute. Believe me, yorkies don't really need any help looking cute! :=) Dressing them in clothes can keep their small bodies warm and give them a small layer of protection. Yorkies have long hair, but their hair is thin and they have no undercoat. This makes them get cold much easier than many other dogs. So, using good sense and comfortable clothes is indeed good for them!

Granny's present to Birk!

2009-11-15T12:17:00.002+01:00

Birk's "granny" is in town and she is an expert on knitting! How lucky are we to have her around, he :))? Her first project while visitting us was to knit a sweater to sweet Birk and the result was excellent!! See below how cute and warm he looks! Now she will try to teach me to crochet one to little Lucy! I have to learn it fast!

Birk as a puppy

2009-11-11T18:43:00.003+01:00

Birk's breeder suprised me recently with the pictures below. She took them before we brought Birk home with us. I can't remember having seen something so cute in a long time!! :)

Fiesta - Lucy's mom

2009-11-11T17:30:00.004+01:00

I thought this was a very cute picture of Fiesta, Lucy's mom. So, here she is for your eyes!

!

Clever Birk!

2009-11-09T19:25:00.004+01:00

Birk is a clever and quick "boy" to learn tricks! Below you can check it out!

He sits, lies down, rolls over and plays dead after he hears "pang" :)

Lucy got a pink collar

2009-11-09T17:19:00.000+01:00

My cute little princess has now got a pink collar from her breeder. Oh, isn't she growing up?

Message from Birk to Lucy

2009-11-08T14:16:00.006+01:00

Blogger Layouts

Birk is going to have a "sister"

2009-11-08T13:47:00.000+01:00

I think it is time to mention Lucy, our new addition to our Yorkie Backyard. She was born Oct. 21st and we will fetch her to her new home just after Christmas. We are looking forward to having her very much! Isn't she very cute? But check her Mom and Daddy below. Her being pretty was only natural...

How to turn an Argyle sock into a kick ass Yorkie outfit!

2009-11-07T16:22:00.003+01:00

I found the steps below in a site in the internet and I thought it was really cute. I reproduce it below for those that are too lazy to knit or prefer a quicker result :) I haven't tried it yet, though. I suppose a good sock to use for this purpose would have to be on a big foot size, like minimum 42 to have a good result!

Step 1 - Cut sock as indicated

Step 2 - Find a cute yorkie to dress it with :)

Step 3 - Cuddle your Yorkie :)

Inspired by Birk

2009-11-07T15:55:00.002+01:00

I have something else which I enjoy very much besides yorkies - crocheting. I love to be able to create something from stcratch and see it taking shape. I am not an expert, but I have great guidance from a close friend of mine, my mother-in-law. She's coming for a visit soon and we will spend some creative time together. Whenever she is around we have learning sessions all the time! This time the theme will be crocheting (maybe even knitting) for dogs (read Birk). Who knows what can come out of it!

Cozy as a cat!

2009-11-06T14:20:00.001+01:00

I constantly see similarities between Birk and a pussycat. When we arrive home and after he has jumped on us a for a little bit, he lies with his belly up on the floor and waits for cuddling on his tummy, stretching himself like a cat! He also reminds me of a cat when he choses pillows to lie down on and sleep. Cute and cozy!

Oh Happy Day! Birk at Sola beach.

2009-11-05T13:34:00.001+01:00

How luck is this little yorkie boy? Having a stroll at the beach on a Thursday morning!

Yorkie Paintings

2009-11-05T10:27:00.001+01:00

While looking for different yorkie pictures, I came across Linda Picken, who is a fantastic animal painter. Isn't his picture beautiful?

The new pink bone - Birk loved it!

2009-11-04T20:51:00.001+01:00

The best things come in small packages!

2009-11-04T20:36:00.001+01:00

Exercise, Discipline, Affection!

2009-11-03T19:46:00.002+01:00

Birk and Aila dressed up!

2009-11-03T19:13:00.001+01:00

Dogs - Cool ice breakers!

2009-11-03T17:51:00.000+01:00

It can be hard getting to know new people, especially when you move to a new area or worse, a new country!! It's not always easy to tell if a stranger will welcome efforts to strike up a conversation. Unless, that is, one of you happens to be walking a dog. It's a great ice-breaker; a person who might otherwise walk past with barely a nod or a look, will smile, say hello and before you know it, you've made a friendship with someone who has a shared interest - the love of dogs. This we have noticed here in Norway and it is most often cool people that stop and have a short talk about our four-legged friends :)

Birk's best friend

2009-11-02T19:14:00.000+01:00

Friends are important for everyone, also for dogs! Birk has a neighbour and best friend called Aila. They are exactly the same age and my daughter Julia and Aila's owner, Mathea, are also best friends! Birk and Aila love each other and when they meet it is only happiness!

Birk doing quality control on the latest additions to his blog!

2009-11-01T22:17:00.001+01:00