Seven Ways to Say "I L-O-V-E You" to Your Dog!

 

Wolfie with his hu-cousin, Eric!

 

Welcome to the month of love! Ah, yes, love. Poets and authors write about it. Singers croon about it. Artists create visions of it. Mid-February saw Valentine's Day, Epilepsy Day (we love our Epi-dogs!), and now it's time to celebrate that love with international Love Your Pet Day on February 20! (Of course EVERY DAY is Love Your Pet Day, but it's always nice to have a day to celebrate with pet hugs and treats)!

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 of that wonderful 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.

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 at: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets. 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. When my Wolfie earned his angel wings in December, I donated what would have been his next Chewy order to a Siberian Husky rescue's foster puppies in his name. I also purchased a snowflake bracelet as snowflakes were very symbolic between Wolfie and me. There are also memorial key chains and jewelry you can have made with your pet's ashes and/or fur. You can also 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 always did! 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!

 

So, 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.

 

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A version of this story first appeared in 4Knines in February 2017, and has been updated with new info February 2022.

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (That's me, #TheSibeScribe!)

Dorothy Wills-Raftery (also known as the #FiveSibesMom) is an award-winning photojournalist and author of EPIC Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy; the FiveSibes™ Tales children’s books: What’s Wrong With Gibson? Learning About K-9 Epilepsy and Getting Healthy With Harley: Learning About Health & Fitness; and Buddy, the Christmas Husky~Based On A True Holiday Miracle books (ArcticHouse Publishing), as well as the FiveSibes.com, an online encyclopedia for the Siberian Husky breed and Canine Epilepsy information, as well as her international award-winning FiveSibes blog, based on the lives of her five Siberian Huskies. Her work has also appeared in AmericanPet Magazine, Ruff Drafts, The Sled Dogger, and Hudson Valley Paw Print Magazine. Dorothy is the writer and host of her award-winning "The Sibe Vibe” Dog Works Radio show.

Dorothy is an 11-time Dog Writers of America Association “Excellence” nominee, winning the prestigious Maxwell Medallion in 2019, 2017, and 2016 for her fiction, writing, photography & design. She was also awarded The Grey Muzzle Award by The Grey Muzzle Organization for "Excellence in writing/media of the plight of at-risk senior dogs" on her show “The Sibe Vibe” broadcasted on Dog Works Radio and iTunes. Her book EPIC Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy received the 2018 Independent Press Award for “Excellence” in the Reference Book category and 2017 NYC Big Book Award for “Excellence” in the Animal/Pet book category. 

 

Dorothy was also named “Best Author” in 2015 & 2016 by Hudson Valley Magazine and all four books named “Best in Print” by AmericanPet Magazine.

 

An official International Purple Day® for Epilepsy Ambassador since 2012 and a volunteer case manager for The Wally Foundation-Canine Epilepsy, Dorothy is the creator of the #FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong K-9 Epilepsy Awareness Campaign and partnered with Purple Day® Every Day presented by The Anita Kaufmann Foundation for #Paws4Purple Project, both inspired by her own epileptic Husky, Gibson. 

 

You can follow Dorothy and her FiveSibes on Facebook at FiveSibes: Siberian Husky K9 News & Reviews, on Twitter and Instagram (@FiveSibesMom).

 

 

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