Sunny Shelties

The world got a little darker when we lost our Sunshine. Sunny was the best dog and aptly named since she so brightened our lives.

 

Sunny was an excellent example of the versatility of the breed. She won 3 State champion titles in 4H obedience. At the county level she was champion in obedience 7 times, agility 3 times, and rally obedience once (she only competed once). She also earned many reserve champion ribbons. Later, she helped me teach numerous classes of 4Hers as an example dog. Sunny would down stay off leash in the middle or side of the ring until I needed her to show the kids a technique or sometimes Sunny would even act as a post for the students to heel figure 8's around. She was perfect and never budged even when another class had a dog get loose and literally jump over Sunny, she stayed where she was supposed to be and didn't even sit up.

 

Sunny was a highly intelligent dog who knew over 50 verbal commands and 30 hand signals. Including numerous tricks such as: bow, wave, crawl, beg, wave, play dead, roll over. She could fetch items based on their names (hats, gloves, balls, etc.), and she even read several words. She had a gentle, loving temperament and lived to please her family. Fortunately she passed these traits on to her pups.

 

At 6 months old when most pups are still learning manners, Sunny was heeling perfectly off leash in busy neighborhoods, the only time she would waver was when a pit bull would run toward us on his chain and Sunny would move to heel on my other side until we were out of sight. Sunny went trick-or-treating. In the car she waved at bank tellers after one gave her a treat.  

 

She loved fruit especially apples and would drool when she smelled them. She once went a day and a half without eating because we raised dish 6 inches off the ground but she though that food "on tables" is off limits to dogs.

 

Tug games and retrievals were her favorite and she caught frisbees with her paws.

 

She loved to be brushed and blow dried but when I trimmed her nails she would close her eyes and turn her head away like she couldn't bear to watch.

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I once watched her carry a small dish to her food dish, put several mouthfuls of food into it, then carry it it another room so she could eat with her people.

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She rode in wheel barrows, and loved to swing in the baby swing at the local playground as well as go down the slides.

 

You could let her out without a fence, even in town, and never worry she would stray. She helped us garden and do yard work and when we moved to the country she "helped" build fences and clean stalls, always by your side but never in the way.

 

She loved everyone and knew all of her family members by name. She was great with other animals from horses to newly hatched baby chicks, there wasn't a mean bone in her body. I could go on forever.

 

Sunny was the best dog that has ever lived. There are places on the couch, on my bed, in my heart and by my side that are now strangely empty. She was more than just a dog, she was a friend and a family member. She was with me from middle school through college graduation. She will always be loved and never forgotten or replaced. 

 

"Gulstad's Golden Sunshine" will live on forever in our hearts and and in our stories as well as through her pups. Rest easy Sunny Bear, you were such a good girl.