Sunny's transformation

 

From Shelter Dog to  Compassionate Healer

I'd like to (re)introduce you to Sunny. On July 27th 2024, Sunny was picked up by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control in North Carolina after being abandoned in an apartment. After spending a few days alone (along with another dog) in the apartment, he spent a few more days behind bars at the shelter. Sadly, this shelter is a high kill shelter (meaning intentional euthanasia) due to limited resources and overcrowding. Thankfully, a wonderful volunteer (Meghan) heard about Sunny (formerly named Hubert by Meghan) in the shelter and fostered him until early September. We said good bye to Campy on July 18th, 2024 and by the end of August, we were ready to welcome a new furry canine to our family. We came across this picture of Sunny (his freedom ride from the shelter) and instantly fell in love with him.

I feel like he's saying "I"m outta here -  hit the gas pedal!"

After meeting Sunny for a 3-day "stay-cation" at our house, we were ready to make it official. On August 30th, we signed the paperwork and paid the adoption fee. On September 13th, we picked up Sunny to take him to his forever home. He got neutered shortly after he arrived home. We don't know his exact birthday so we gave him a birthday of March 20th - the first day of spring. Sunny is now 2 years and 5 months old. We named him Sunny because he has radiates sunshine and we needed some light in our life after saying good bye to Campy after over 16 years together.

We were really excited for our first trip together. We brought Sunny with us to Chattanooga for the Ironman. Campy came everywhere with us and we were really looking forward to making new memories with Sunny. However, Sunny started to be a handful for us and we needed my mom to "babysit" Sunny because we knew he couldn't be left alone in the Airbnb and we didn't feel comfortable with him in large crowds.  Knowing that it takes time for a rescue dog to settle into a new environment, we quickly picked up on some concerning signs of anxiety and fear. Sunny became very reactive to dogs. He would bark excessively out of fear and would compulsively dig (into blankets or the ground) when he felt anxious.  Perhaps Sunny was not ready for his first trip as it was all a bit overwhelming for him. And to make things worse, when we returned home, we were without power for 10 days due to the Hurricane and the sound of generators throughout our neighborhood was not helping Sunny feel relaxed. We worried that Sunny would never feel comfortable in large crowds and in chaotic and unpredictable environments. We wanted to travel with Sunny and bring him with us but we lacked the knowledge of how to best train him.

Laying the Foundation: Trust and Training  I did a lot of research on "dog trainers" in our area as we had no prior experience. We had Campy for over 16 years and he was not the most well behaved dog (he was extremely protective of me) but he was only 10 lbs so I could quickly pick him up and distract him. Sunny was 16 lbs and his anxiety and reactiveness was hard to handle. In October, we were ready to hire the experts.  After a lot of discussions, Karel and I decided on Dog Upstate Elite. We chose the Gold Elite package which included 5 days of "school" at the facility in Piedmont, SC from 9-4pm and then 6-months of group classes. This package was expensive but we felt it was necessary. The trainers utilize an e-collar which had me worried but after doing more research and seeing how the trainers worked with Sunny, we learned that through this training, we were not losing Sunny but gaining Sunny's true personality. Throughout the week of his school, we dedicated time every day to working with Sunny and making sure to use his e-collar (which is a vibrating collar, similar to an e-stem device that athletes and therapists use on muscles) as a positive reinforcement training tool. I'll never forget the first time I took Sunny to an event (Hincapie Gran Fondo expo) after his week of school and I couldn't believe how well behaved he was. We then walked in downtown Travelers Rest and he was behaving so well off the leash for a picture. And then we met a friendly dog in our neighborhood for the first time. All of this was happening in less than a week!  I was lead to believe that dogs need a lot of exercise to wear them out or that treat-training was the way to go. But not for Sunny. Sunny needed tasks. He needed a leader to guide him. He needed to build trust. He wanted to please.

Similar to a person with anxiety (I can relate), when the mind goes spiraling out of control with fears and worries, the brain needs activities to shift the focus. Sunny was exhausted after each day at school, not from exercise but from using his brain. He loved working on his commands. Everyday was a game. And after school each day, he enjoyed delicious "reward" bone from a great day of obedience training.

Between me and Sunny, we built a very strong connection through his training. For the next six months (November until April), Sunny and I attended almost every Thursday evening class from 6-7pm. Week after week, month after month, Sunny was building his confidence and we were developing a strong communication system together. Karel would continue to work on Sunny's training throughout the week and we also taught my mom how to use his clicker and commands so that Sunny was always receiving the same commands. Sunny mastered the core commands - sit, down, come, off, heel and place - and was excelling with commands off the leash. He could easily handle distractions like loud noises, moving objects, strangers and dogs. He learned to love all people (especially children) and thrives in chaotic environments. Karel and I worked really hard with Sunny's obedience but it was Sunny who was showing us that he just needed direction.

Sunny impresses us everyday. After 6 months of consistent work, I noticed that people would smile at Sunny when we were in public and I would get kind remarks from strangers. It was new to me to hear that I had such a well-behaved dog. Sunny's calmness around strangers, impulse control, patience in public, control in crowded corridors and tolerance of noise had me thinking that Sunny would make a great therapy dog. I did some research about therapy dog training and certification and in June, we started the next chapter.  Sunny the soon-to-be therapy dog

Although I have nothing but nice and wonderful things to say about Dog Training Elite, I thought a new change of pace and trainer would be a good stimulus for Sunny. I reached out to K9 Off Leash and hired Alyssa to help Sunny with his therapy dog certification. I purchased an 8-week package and every week we would go somewhere for Sunny to practice his skills and to get more comfortable in new environments. Alyssa was helpful to provide quick cues for Sunny and how we should interact with strangers. We went to Downtown Greenville, we went to different stores (ex. Lowe's, At Home), we went to a gym, we went to parks. In between sessions I take Sunny to different events and places to further help him with his skills. One of our favorite visits was at the cycling adaptive center where adaptive individuals were getting fitted for bikes. After 6 visits of his therapy training, Sunny started to do his skills without his collar. E-collars are not allowed in therapy visits. Sunny does not wear his e-collar all the time but we do use it as a way to communicate with him when we are outside or in noisy/busy places, especially when he is off the leash.

On Monday, Sunny and I met with a volunteer instructor with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Sunny had his first exam at a local pet store and he passed. He has two more observations to pass and if all goes well, he will be certified (by the time you are reading this, he may be a certified therapy dog!)  Once Sunny is officially certified, he can visit schools, nursing homes, offices/centers, and medical facilities (wherever therapy dogs are allowed) to offer comfort, distract from anxiety and help people calm their nerves and fears.  Sunny is our rescue dog turned (almost) therapy dog. He has helped us heal from the loss of Campy and now he can help others. I wasn't able to share my soul-dog Campy with anyone and now I am proud to share Sunny with anyone who needs him.  Sunny wasn't born for therapy, he was made for it. Through time, patience, consistent training and the belief that a dog's beginning doesn't define its future, we couldn't be more proud of Sunny. 🐕❤️                                          If Sunny's story touched you, please consider donating or helping at Sunny's former shelter.  🐾 How you can help: ✔ Adopt – Give a loving pet a forever home. ✔ Foster – Even a short-term commitment can save lives. ✔ Staycation - For up to 10 days, you can take a dog out of the shelter with no strings attached. Whether you’re considering adopting or just want to give a pup a break, staycations are a great way to make a difference. ✔ Spread the word – Encourage others to adopt/foster at high-kill shelters.  ✔ Donate  Why it matters: Without immediate help, the shelter faces extremely difficult decisions. Emptying kennels is critical to prevent overcrowding and to keep every pet safe and healthy. 📍 Location: 8315 Byrum Dr., Charlotte, NC 🕒 Open M-F from 11 AM – 7 PM, Weekends 9 AM - 5 PM