#FiveSibes Lovebirds Valentine Flashback & Simple Ways to Shower Your Dog with Love!

February 2015 FiveSibes Flashback:"Will you accept this rose?" Our #FiveSibes "married" couple ~ Gibson & Harley

Welcome to the month of love! Ah, yes, love. Poets and authors write about it. Singers croon about it. Artists create visions of it. While every day is a day for showing our pets how much we love them, February is a time to celebrate that love with Valentine’s Day on February 14 and Love Your Pet Day on February 20! Today's FiveSibes Flashback Friday is in honor of Valentine's Day and love of our Huskies, in particular our romantically sweet lovebirds, (now furangel) Gibson and his absolute once-in-a-lifetime love, Harley, as featured in these adorable photos from 2012 and 2015. My article is a reprint, originally published in 4Knines February 2017. Enjoy, and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

 
While we can certainly count the many ways our beloved dogs love us and we love them, here’s a few ways of showering our canine best friends with some l-o-v-e!

Love Is Simple

Nothing says, “I love you,” more than hugs, kisses, and some belly rubs! Dogs are pretty easy to please. They don’t need anything fancy to let them know how much they are loved, just your time and attention (although treats and toys are willingly accepted).

Fetch Me Some Love!

You work all day and can’t wait to get home. Is there anything better than happy, wiggly butts and wagging tails greeting you at the door to wash away all of the day’s stresses? Return the favor by picking up their favorite toy and engaging in a fun game of Fetch to let them know you missed them, too!

Love Is Being Together

There’s nothing that says, “I love being with you,” to a dog more than spending time together. And dogs love to go o-u-t! Go for a stroll, a hike, or just have fun running around the yard together! If your dog has special needs or a medical condition (like arthritis or weak hind-end issues) that prevents them from walking well on their own, a lift-harness is helpful to aid them on short walks (or potty breaks), or simply sit together and just breathe in the outside air while enjoying each other’s company.

February 2012 FiveSibes Flashback: Our FiveSibes Lovebird Huskies. Gib's heart beated with love for his girl, Harley.

Healthy Love

One of the most loving gifts we can give our dogs is to ensure that they are in the best health possible by taking them to the vet for their scheduled check-ups and keeping their vaccinations current. Also have them microchipped, feed them a healthy diet, have fresh water available, and be diligent in following up on anything physically or behaviorally suspicious, and if your dogs are on medications and/or supplements, be sure that they receive their doses on time.

Love Is Sweet, but Not the Treats

While red heart boxes filled with candy can make us smile, be careful not to let sweet treats near your dog. Chocolates, nuts, anything with Xylitol, raisins, caffeine, and more can be toxic to your pet. Check the ASPCA’s full list of foods to avoid HERE Also, keep your vet, the emergency animal hospital, and animal Poison Control phone numbers visible near your landline phone and programmed into your cell phone.

Love Hurts

Oh, boy, it sure can. When we lose a beloved pet, it’s a loss we feel so deep in our hearts we fear we will never heal. To help ease that hurt, why not visit a nearby shelter or rescue and bestow some happiness on a homeless pet. Donate a toy or food in your furangel’s name, give a shelter dog a much-needed hug, and ask to take a dog out of the kennel for a walk. By sharing the love in your heart with a dog less fortunate, you will not only help a dog in need know love, but can also help heal the hurt in your own heart. And who knows? You may even find a new best friend to bring home and love.

The Language of Love

Do you tell your dogs you love them?

I do! Communication is just as important for reinforcing the amazing human-canine bond, as it is to spend time playing and interacting with them. The best part about having a conversation with your dogs is when they answer you back with enthusiastic howls, woofs, woos, licks, and/or tail wags! Pure joy!



FiveSibes Flashback: February 2012

Whether your “puppy” is 12 years or 12 months old, all s/he wants is to be with you and share that special bond called love. Not only will you cherish the time spent together, but your dogs will also be happy knowing they are forever cared for and loved.

My original article, "7 Simple Ways to Shower Your Dog With L-o-v-e" first appeared in the February 3, 2017 issue of 4Knines blog. 

Our Pupsters Want to know...

 Valentine's Day 2019



You're Invited!
Join us each week for a walk down Memory Lane by linking up to our Flashback Friday Blog Hop! Share photos of your pets on your blog or social media from yesteryear or yesterday, grab our badge with a nod to our post, and link up to the hop. Link open all week, so join in any time!




Comments

  1. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!!!

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a beautiful post and the pics of the lovebirds and the rest of your crew are adorable! It's funny, I only ever think about the love I have for my animals and vice versa but never about the love they may feel for each other. You got me thinking and remembering how much some of my cats and dogs really did feel the love for each other.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy Valentine's guys! We loved your part about love is healthy. I know I will occasionally sneak Navy some extra treats or kibble, just to see her smile. However, in the long run, that is not the best for her overall health!

    Thanks for sharing!
    -Navy, Alex, and Zach
    www.navycorgi.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Belated Happy Valentine's Day!
    I sure do show my dogs love in so many of the ways you have listed. I do whatever I can to keep them healthy and happy.
    Their favorite play is fetch and I have an over-abundance of toys for the game. They are so spoiled!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love love love the post as I love the idea of spreading love daily as we all need some loving. Happy Belated Valentines Day everyone with love from Layla

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy belated Valentine's Day. Those are some great ways to show our pets our love, not just on Valentine's Day but all year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Have I told my dog I love him? You mean today? Of course! Every day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a cute post very appropriate for Valentine's Day. I have always wondered wha my dog thinks about LOVE.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I will happily be your Valentine, Sibes! I love the photo of Gibson and Harley, what a sweet pair they were. Volunteering at a shelter to walk dogs or just stop & say hi by their kennels is a great idea. I can't tell you how much it means to a shelter dog to get out for a short walk! They need it desperately
    Love & Biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy Valentine's Day (a little late), I love Gibson and Harley's picture. It's special when you have a bonded pair. I think my Mocha Latte and Matisse are heading that way. I do tell the babies I love them every day - and they return it with slow blinks and head butts and purring every day!

    ReplyDelete
  11. These are some great ways to show our furry friends just how much we love them! Not just on Valentine's Day, but every day of the year!

    ReplyDelete
  12. We hope you had a very happy and love filled Valentine's Day. ❤️

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a sweet flashback photo! I hope you had a lovely Valentine's day!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy Valentine's day from me and Babu in San Francisco! We totally believe in love is being near, which is why we do so many road trips together in California:-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happy Valentine's day! Love is being near is definitely our mantra since we make sure to travel as much as possible with Babu!

    ReplyDelete
  16. There is always plenty of love anywhere they are.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Such a completely beautiful post! We believe love is family and visa versa - and your posts always reflect that!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Aww, Gibson and Harley. Reese was our little Valentine. Her birthday would have been the 12th. Sadly, she left us the Friday before. I will celebrate her every year.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The fact that e still need to remind people about some basic safety is frustrating but I hope your words reach the right ears.

    I always tell each cat I love them. Every day.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I hope you had a happy Valentine's Day! Thanks for sharing the reminder about Valentine's Day safety. A dog I know recently had trouble with xylitol, but fortunately she was taken to the vet in time. The dog is fine now, but what a scary event.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acupressure and Ice to Relieve Seizures and A #LiveGibStrong Epi-Tip

#PrayersForHarley - Dewclaw Tumor

The Rainbow Bridge Welcomes A New FurAngel - Buddy, the Christmas Husky - A Forever Symbol of Hope for Rescued Dogs

Fit For Our #FiveSibes Alpha Queen: Celebrating Harley's 14½ Birthday

Shave a Husky? Don't Do it!