Helix's first vacation!

[Cram]

We just got back from our 2 week vacation in BC (mostly on Vancouver Island) and we had a blast! Helix was a great traveller but we found out that, although he is fine being left alone at home, he does not like being left alone in a strange place (crated of course). So we ended up doing take-out and pet friendly excursions most of the time so that the other guests at the places we were staying at wouldn't hate us (he literally screams when we leave him).

Here are a few of our favourite pics!

This is Helix in his carseat. It's the best thing we could have bought for the trip (20+ hours of driving there!). It boosted him up so he could see out the window and a strap kept him safely in the seat attached to a harness so he couldn't wander around the car.





A first look at the ocean (Terrace Beach, Ucluelet). Helix is definitely not a water dog! He got his paws wet only because he wanted to follow another dog in :P.

[Dracko]

Unbelievable beautiful eyes. Do you have to put his eyeliner on each day?

It always amazes me when I hear about dogs that don't like the water. Dracko LOVES it. I thought all dogs loved it until I started posting on here.

[Cram]

DH and Helix walking on the beach at sunset:

[Cram]

Wild Pacific Trail (Ucluelet):





Gordon Beach, Sooke:

[Cram]

[Cram]

Mystic Beach, Juan de Fuca Trail:



Sooke Potholes:

[Cram]

And for fun, some humpback whale shots (Ucluelet, BC). We went whale watching and were able to observe a mama whale and her (large) baby swimming with her! Magnificent creatures

[jiorji]

those are all great pictures!

[luckypenny]

I just love your photos. Helix doesn't look too amused in the second picture though . He looks like he's in his natural habitat in the Wild Pacific Trail shot. I think my favorite is the one of him trying to "save" his ball from the tide . What a cute pup you have! Aren't vacations way too short?

[Frenchy]

Beautiful pictures Cram ! Helix looks like he had lots of fun. I love the second pic , in his car seat , oh yes , he was cruising !

[rainbow]

Awww, finally more pics of your handsome boy. I love the whale pics too.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Love the beach hole-digging pic

Glad ya'll enjoyed your west coast vacation

[Lukka'sma]

Helix is one good looking fella . I love to see all the vacation photos that include the dogs on the trips. I just wish you would post pictures of Helix more often than you do.
But what I really wonder if how do you hike with those shoes on

[Smiley14]

Oh, I LOVE your pics!!! Helix is sooo striking and it looks like he really enjoyed it! Even the mud! I love his car seat! I have something similar for Belle, but it's not nearly as good looking as that one is!
Amazing whale pictures too! What an awesome trip!

[TMac]

Oh my gosh, I could just die for those eyes!!!!!!!!
He is so gorgeous! How old is he? He looks so teeny

[Cram]

Thanks everyone! I borrowed my dad's digital SLR (Pentax KD-100) for our trip, so that helped with the pictures I was learning how to use it.

My husband is wearing the Crocs- he has foot "issues" (one foot is significantly wider than the other) and no shoes fit him. He has practically lived in his Crocs since last year when I bought them for him. Ugly, but comfortable and that's what matters. They aren't bad for hiking, except your foot moves around inside a bit, and they can be a bit treacherous on slippery surfaces. They are great beach/ water shoes though- we used them for kayaking and boating.

I should always put a note about Helix on every post, LOL! He's 9 months old now (on this vacation) and weighs about 12 or 13 lbs. He's an Alaskan Klee Kai- kind of like a miniature husky- and a rare breed. We were asked A LOT about him everywhere we went and everyone always comments on his eyes . I am so happy that we've done a pretty good job socializing him so people can actually meet him. His breed is naturally shy and many will not let strangers touch them at all. But Helix will let people pet him and scratch his ears- even children if they aren't too aggressive. He's still a bit standoffish, but I think that's better than jumping up on people. He even licked a little boys face! Our only issue is that he's a very vocal player- barking, yipping and growling. When we see other dogs on walks, he often throws a fit trying to get their attention so they'll play with him. He absolutely terrified a poor 2 month old pup we met . But hopefully with some time and effort we can minimize this.

We even found that our intensive recall training had paid off! When we stayed with family for a few days, they often forgot to close the door behind them. Well, Helix would sneak out every chance he got. They live on a very quiet, no exit street with hardly any traffic, and the area is pretty underpopulated (North Cowichan near Duncan). I just grabbed a bit of cheese (his favourite) and called him over and he came right to me- once he realized I had cheese! After the first time he was really good and we had no problems getting him back to us (even without cheese). It really makes me think he may one day be a good off-leash dog. Prior to the training we've done, there would have been virtually zero chance that he would have come back when called off leash (he likes to run back and then run away before we can catch him).