I'm back

Sorry I missed a couple of days; I've been gone a full week and now I am back home. I wrote several blogs to post while I was gone but at the very end skipped a couple. I was in Victoria, BC which was totally amazing. I don't think I've seen more beautiful scenery. And from a tourist perspective it looks very dog friendly. The hotel where we were staying allowed dogs; there were quite a few. And one day we ran into a nice couple with a beautiful cafe au lait standard poodle who we discussed the wonders of the poodle with.

We did alot of traveling around the island and there were lots of places to run dogs off leash. We found an amazing trail that went all along the shore of Victoria that was leash free past a certain point. I so wish I had my guys there to enjoy it. Then on several occasions when we were enjoying the local shores we watched as the dogs had fun. One evening a pack of three arrived with their guardians; they were all off leash and obviously accustom to coming to this spot, so feeling like the beach was theirs. They wandered around; they were perhaps a chow mix, a smaller short haired mix and a very old lab. The pack consisted of 2 boys who were well into their senior years and one female who was much younger but very clearly the boss of the pack.

We watched as the poor old lab swayed as he tried to walk over the rocks. While we watched the dogs enjoying themselves another woman arrived with her very young lab who was loving every second of his stick retrieving in the water. As soon as the first pack alpha noticed him she was down and checking him out in a flash. She decided it was okay for him to stay; the old boy gave him a once over and after several head in the air barks decided he could stay as well. I'm not sure if you can see; but the old labs back legs were crossed so badly as he tried to leave that he nearly lost his balance. Then the chow mix wandered over after hearing his brother barking; he too told the young'n that he could stay. The pack wandered off and watched the young dog having fun.

It was interesting to see the young labs response to the entire pack swooping down on him; he was quite confident. After the old boy checked him out he seemed to be even more confident; perhaps realizing just how old this senior was. It was a wonderful trip; but I'm sure glad to be back with the gang.