Celebrating Our Fourth Anniversary & Award Nod of "The Sibe Vibe" Dog Works Radio Show!

Happy Friday! Can you believe it's Friday already? As the summer rolls on, it seems the warm days are just flying by! This past week was a very busy, special, and a really fun one here at FiveSibes! Top highlight was seeing the 3D sonogram photo of my grandson and FiveSibes hu-brother! So exciting!  And we also had good friends visiting from Georgia, and the Sibes sure did get in a lot of fun playtime with my four-year-old honorary grandson! (They are still tuckered out!) And last Sunday was a career highlight when my "The Sibe Vibe" Dog Works Radio show executive producer and co-host Robert Forto and his wife Michele, both lead mushers and trainers at Team Ineka from Alaska (home of the "The Sibe Vibe" production studio), stopped here in New York on their visit to the lower 48 where they have been touring, hitting up concerts and rollercoasters across 6300 miles! We hosted our show not only together in person for the first time, but we broadcasted before a live audience at the The Poughkeepsie Inn in Poughkeepsie, New York! This episode marked our fourth anniversary of being on air! Our very first show debuted on August 26, 2012  ~National Dog Day~ with the Debi Klein and Janet Cross of the Siberian Husky Rescue of Florida (www.siberrescue.com). During our live broadcast, it was fun to interact not only in person with Robert, but also with members of the audience, including family and friends who came out to support us, including Mannie from The Empire State Snow Dogs Club who joined us at the mic to talk about his Husky, "Bam Bam," some info about what he is doing for Huskies in the New York City area, and about the fantastic and very active The Empire State Snow Dog Club, which is based out of Long Island. The group was up for a camping trip in Ithaca, New York and Mannie came down from there to join us on our show! I'll be posting pics from their fun camping event on a later post. 

One of the coolest aspects to the show is that through modern technology, we can span the globe and speak with Siberian Husky and canine experts across the globe, bringing our listeners amazing and informative stories from all over the world!

Before my Flashback Friday post, I want to share some highlights from our fourth anniversary show this past Sunday, including being able to present Robert in person with his certificate for our Dog Writers Association of America award nomination for "Excellence" in radio show/podcast category for our show "Talking Canine Epilepsy" with Dr. Karen Munana and Julie Nettifee-Osborne, LVT & research specialist from the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine that is part of my #LiveGibStrong K-9 Epilepsy Awareness Campaign! (To listen to this important episode on Canine Epilepsy, visit HERE.) I'm so proud of this award as it is a cause near and dear to my heart, inspired by my Epi-dog Gibson.

Special moment!

One of three "Excellence" nominations I received!

Want info on Canine Epilepsy? Contact me at FiveSibesLiveGibStrong(at)gmail(dot)com.

At the Inn, I also had an informational table, including several of my ‪#‎LiveGibStrong‬ K-9 Epilepsy Awareness articles published in American Pet Magazine, The Sled Dogger magazine, and Pulse newsletter; my story about House Woof Dog Biscuits "Gibbie Snacks," informational brochures and flyers from Canine Epilepsy Resources; Toby's Foundation, Paws to People: Bridges to Cures; Dr. Karen Munana & Julie Nettifee of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s (CVM) Neurology Department, Molly’s Fund, and The Wally Foundation- canine epilepsy. There were copies of the Hudson Valley Paw Print with my article on local girl Savannah Whittaker who has Epilepsy and is getting a service dog. Hudson Valley Paw Print also donated a one-year subscription to their magazine for a raffle basket fundraiser FiveSibes is doing for Savannah's K-9 Lifeline (raffle and story will be in an upcoming blog post). 

Also on hand were my books: EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy, What's Wrong With Gibson? Learning About K-9 Epilepsy, Getting Healthy With Harley, Buddy ~ The Christmas Husky~A True Holiday Miracle, and the Forto's  book I edited and published through ArcticHouse Publishing, Team Ineka: A Musher's Dream. 

 Robert and I "on air."

To listen to our 4th Anniversary Live Show, tune in HERE any time, or find us on iTunes under the DogWorks Radio family of shows!

Chatting with Mannie, member of 

The Empire State Snow Dog Club 

With my show's Executive Producer Robert Forto & his wife, our segment Producer, Michele Forto and their book.

 Thank You to all our "The Sibe Vibe" listeners, fans and readers of my books, and followers of my FiveSibes™ blog and FiveSibes: Siberian Husky K9 News & Reviews Facebook page, and all of our social media, for taking this wonderful journey with us and for all your support! Thank You to my amazing family and friends who came out to support us! Thank You to the Poughkeepsie Inn for hosting us!  Thank You to Robert & Michele Forto and Dog Works Radio for having me be part of your amazing family of shows! And an extra Thank You goes out to three amazing beautiful people, my husband and FiveSibes Hu-Dad for, well, everything! And to my lifelong friend Linda Mae Brownell and my Aunt Carolyn Reis for not only amazing constant support, but also for their fabulous photographs of this special event!

 After the show and a wonderful lunch, Robert and Michele, parents to Team Ineka's 40 Huskies, came back to meet my very eager FiveSibes! 

Coming up in August will be a very special giveaway to celebrate our Fourth Anniversary of "The Sibe Vibe" 

 you won't want to miss!

For today's Flashback Friday moment, it's a "listen to" moment as I take you back to the very first episode of "The Sibe Vibe" on Dog Works Radio - where, "On this episode we speak with Debi Klein and Janet Cross of the Siberian Husky Rescue of Florida and they cover topics such as:  Siberian Huskies in warm climates. Did you know that Siberians have no pigment in their skin an they will get bad sunburns if you shave them? Also did you know if you shave your husky their fur might come back in a different color? Advice: Don’t shave your husky! We also spoke about upcoming events, how to be a foster, and their FREE National Lost and Found Siberian  Husky network. The ladies from SHRoF were calling in from Seminole, Florida, right in the path of the hurricane that is bearing down on the state. We spoke about evacuation preparedness and what to do in case of an emergency."

  The Flashback Friday Blog Hop are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - and our co-host, Love is being Owned by a Husky, each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our Blog Hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week! To catch our past Flashbacks, just enter "Flashback Friday" in the search box.  Come join us! We'd love to see your pets' Flashback pics! Just grab our badge below:

We are also joining in the Pet Parade hosted by Rascal & Rocco, Bionic Basil, our co-host, Owned by a Husky, and Barking from the Bayou! Be sure to visit them and their hoppers!

Hot News: Keeping Huskies Cool and Hydrated When Temperatures Rise

Keeping Cool in the Pool!

Baby, it's hot outside! Many areas of the country are seeing extreme heat conditions this summer, and weather forecasters are predicting dangerously high heat indexes of 101 to even possibly 107℉ spreading from the central United States and moving toward our Northeast area this weekend. And if it's hot for us, just imagine how it is for our dogs! Having "snowdogs," you can just imagine how unhappy they are in extreme heat. It's also important to exercise dogs early in the early mornings and late evenings to avoid the sun and heat, be careful of hot surfaces including cement, blacktop, and sand, and be aware of symptoms of possible heat exhaustion or heat stroke. 

I've had several readers request that I recap ways I keep my FiveSibes cool, so today I'll be talking about how to help not just Siberian Huskies, but all dogs, beat the heat!

FiveSibes Top 10 Tips to 
Help Dogs Beat the Heat:

Please Note: This post includes some Affiliate Links, which means if you click on the item and purchase it, we will receive a very small commission (at no extra cost to you)! Thank you in advance!

1. COOLING COLLARS

There are two types that we use. The beautiful handmade ones by Calming Collars (they make cooling and calming collars in a variety of fabric colors and designs) as modeled by my now furangel Gibson. You simply wet the collar, put it in a ziploc bag, and freeze! Then place around your dog's neck to help them cool down on a hot day. With Gibson being an Epi-dog and a wooly Husky, this was a staple in my warm-weather care for him. You can check out my full review on the product HERE. 

***And as a special offer to my FiveSibes readers, Calming Collars has extended a 10% discount until December 31, 2016 using the code FIVESIBES10 when checking out!*** 

 The other type we use are ones that have an ice pack that slips inside of a canvas collar. You can purchase those through our Amazon affiliate links, Large is below, and other sizes are posted at the end of this post. Either way, your dog will thank you!

Size Large Blue

Size Large Red

2. COOLER BED/MATS

These are also very helpful in helping to cool down a pet. I had one for Gibson that he used every day. Being a wooly Siberian Husky and an Epi-dog, a canine epileptic, it was important to keep him cool as being overheated can trigger a seizure. We used a cooling bed 365 days to help keep my big wooly guy cool. These beds do eventually warm up, so it's important to have the dog get off of it for awhile to regenerate the cool factor. Also, a caution is to know that when placed outdoors, the outdoor temperature will also warm up the water in the bed, so it's key to keep in a cool spot and check on your dog. Mats are the same in that they offer temporary relief from the heat, but need time without a dog on them to regenerate the cool.

Large Blue Bed (32x44)

Medium Blue Bed (22x32)

 

Small Blue Bed (17x24) 

 

3. FRESH, COOL WATER AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES

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In conjunction with July being PetSafe's National Pet Hydration Month, this sounds like an obvious thing, but outdoor dishes of water can heat up very fast. Be sure they are out of the sun and refreshed often. Not sure? Reach in and test it! And be careful with glass bowls as they can not only heat up to the point of breaking, but the sun's rays can also filter through and cause a fire if located on a wooden deck. (See my pet fire safety infographic HERE). Indoor bowls can also warm up or become "mucky" with dribbles of dog food, treats, and saliva, so be sure to clean and freshen often.


4. SPLISH SPLASH! KIDDIE POOLS, SPRINKLERS, AND MISTING, OH BOY!

What can I say? There's nothing better than a cool pool to chill those paw pads, blow bubbles under water in, and splash around to beat the summer heat! Also for some cool summer fun, spraying a dog with the hose set on the gentle (and quiet) "mist" setting, or having an oscillating mister fan, will not only cool off your dog, but take down the surrounding temperature, too! And let's not forget the old style of fun by letting your dog run through a lawn sprinkler!

5. OCEANS, RIVERS, LAKES & STREAMS

Visiting dog-friendly parks with ponds, also lakes, rivers, and beaches can be a great way to help your dog cool down in the hot weather. Just beware of hot sand, sharp cowheads (seed pods of the water chestnut found in many locations along rivers), and things that could hurt their paws on the way to the water and in the water. 


6. LET THEM SNOOZE IN THE COOL

Turn on the A/C and fans and let them snooze comfortably and/or play some indoor games out of the sun and heat. 

7. SCRUB-A-DUB-HUSKIES-IN-A-TUB

 

A hot day is the perfect time to give your pup a good grooming and an outdoor bath! A little soap, a little water, and lots of clean, cool fun! (Never shave a Husky, unless for medical reasons! Why not? Visit my post HERE to get the facts).


 8. NOMS, GIVE ME SOMETHING COOL TO EAT!

Just like with us humans, a little cool treat like ice cream or a tasty

homemade frozen treat goes a long way to cooling some warm wagging tongues on a hot summer day! Check out our FiveSibes YouTube Canine Cooking Corner video below for our Frozen Berry Yogurt Bites Recipe! 

9. BEING SHADY IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

If they have to be outside, or if you are at an outdoor summer event with your dog, please be sure they have lots of shade, fresh cool water to drink, and a kiddie pool to chill out in. An oscillating fan (with cords well out of reach of the dog for their safety) helps move the air and if you can get a misting oscillating fan that hooks up to a hose, you can not only cool off your dog, but the outside area temperature as well! Not at home? For those camping trips, hikes, or visits to friends and family, take a long a portable hand-held misting fan to help cool your furpal off, and periodically dip their paw pads into a pan of cool water to help keep them cool and comfy.

10. NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A CAR ON A WARM OR HOT DAY! 

 Please! I can't emphasize this enough! And while you may think leaving the vehicle run with the A/C on while you zip into the store, there have been reports of malfunctions where the air conditioner stops working for the car turns off, and it becomes an instant sauna for pets. Leave your pets home on those hot days where they are safe.

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As promised above, some of our affiliate links to other sizes of the Kool Collars:

Size Small Blue

Size Small Black

Size Small Red

Size Medium Blue

In Summary:

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Stay Safe & Keep Cool!

 

For today's cool Flashback Friday photo, and in keeping with the Keeping Huskies Cool theme, it's my all-time favorite fun summer pool shot from several years ago of my FiveSibes having a splashing puppy pool party! What fun!

 Flashback Fridays are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - and our co-host, Love is being Owned by a Husky, each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our Blog Hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week! To catch our past Flashbacks, just enter "Flashback Friday" in the search box.  Come join us! We'd love to see your pets' Flashback pics! Just grab our badge below:

 

And we're also joining in the "Summer" Pet Parade, hosted by Rascal & Rocco, Bionic Basil, our co-host, Owned by a Husky, and Barking from the Bayou! Be sure to visit them and their hoppers!

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Blog the Change for Animals: Pet Fire Safety Day; Are You Prepared?

 Today is a double-duty day as it is not only my Flashback Friday Blog Hop, but also the Blog the Change for Animals and I am highlighting today's Pet Fire Safety Day in the  infographic below, and also flashing back to very special, heart-wrenching, and inspirational story about a family's home that caught on fire with their Siberian Husky trapped inside. I talk with the family and the heroic neighbor about the disaster, the brave firefighters who helped to save Nanuk, tips on pet fire safety, and about the community that all came forward to help a Husky and family in need. The American Kennel Club (AKC) and ADT Security Services joined together in 2007 when the first Pet Fire Safety Day debuted. Next year will be the 10th Anniversary of this important day to remind us all about preparing and planning for our pets safety should a fire ever occur.

While we all hope and pray a fire never starts in our homes and that our family and furfamily members are never in this type of danger, it can and does happen. In January of 2014, the unthinkable did happen for the Peraza Family of California. Their heart-wrenching story bears repeating to remind all of us about Pet Fire Safety awareness because sometimes the unthinkable happens. I'm sharing today the episode of my Dog Works Radio show "The Sibe Vibe," from when we chatted with Nanuk's hu-mom, Doris Peraza and neighbor/rescuer and fellow Husky parent, Samira Mahjoub Tapia as they tearfully bring us back to that horrific day in 2014. Hearing his mom and neighbor's retelling of what happened still brings tears to my eyes. But Nanuk's story is also an inspirational one as an entire community, local and online, came together to help. Please share the player with friends and family to help bring awareness to Pet Fire Safety. You can also follow Nanuk on his Facebook page, Husky Nanuk, Burned in a House Fire to see how well this beautiful boy is now doing and to see all of his amazing photos!

Check Out Pets Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Dog Works Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio with Dog Works Radio Shows on BlogTalkRadio

Below is the family's video showing Nanuk's miraculous journey:

Lucky for Nanuk, he had a happy ending and even was able to go back and meet the heroic firemen who saved his life by administering oxygen to the badly injured Husky. Pictured below is Nanuk after his recuperation with several members of the Los Angeles Fire Department who saved him. 

 Photo courtesy of Nanuk, Husky Burned in House Fire

And just how is Nanuk doing today?

Photo Courtesy of Nanuk, Husky Burned in Fire

Thanks to so many wonderful, caring people, Nanuk just recently celebrated his 4th Birthday with big beautiful Sibe smiles!

 For today's Flashback Friday photo, in honor of Pet Fire Safety Day and the firefighters and first responders who put their lives on the line every single day for us and our pets, I'm sharing two very special photos I shot of my son-in-law, a volunteer firefighter, with our girl, Bandit, from 2014.

 Flashback Fridays are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - and our co-host, Love is being Owned by a Husky, each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our Blog Hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week! To catch our past Flashbacks, just enter "Flashback Friday" in the search box.  Come join us! We'd love to see your pets' Flashback pics! Just grab our badge below:

We are also joining in the Pet Parade hosted by Rascal & Rocco, Bionic Basil, our co-host, Owned by a Husky, and Barking from the Bayou! Be sure to visit them and their hoppers!

Mother of Huskies in the Game of Bones...

Winter is coming...

(As the FiveSibesMom, a mother of five Huskies, and a total Game of Thrones fangirl, how could I resist buying this perfect tee?!)

As an Amazon Affiliate, you can purchase one of these amazing tees through our following link at no extra cost to you (but we will receive a teeny compensation):

  

***PLEASE...remind people to never get a Siberian Husky if they do not educate themselves on the breed’s specific needs! They are not novelties! They are so much more than their beauty. Huskies deserve a loving, caring FOREVER home. Just because folks see one on TV does not mean they should get one!***