sunnysbestlife

08/12/2023

Forever my heart and soul.

How is this sweet puppy 4 years old today?! 🥹

Note: If you’re newer around here this photo is from when we first met, she was only 4 months old.

Right now she’s curled up on her favorite duvet with a belly full of cookies.

Maybe when she wakes up I’ll post something more current.

Happy birthday to my best girl. 🥰

07/13/2023

Someone recently replied to my highlight about Rylie to let me know that she has her mom, Harley.

She also told me that Rylie’s original name was Moonie because of the shape on her neck, she has a brother named Blanco, and her dad’s name is Shaggy.

Best of all? She sent puppy pics of Rylie and her siblings!

07/04/2023

A boy and his dog. ✨

Should he start teaching her how to fish?

06/09/2023

Does this sound like a course that would help you and your dog to grow together and to make a better impact?

I'd love to have you! Enroll at https://sherrierohde.com/course

06/05/2023

So excited to share this course with y'all!

If you want to level up your skills as a Therapy Dog team to cultivate calmness, boost your confidence, foster resilience and embrace balance - this is for you.

It addresses not just the skills your dog needs, but also the skills that you need, and we're going to have fun playing with our dogs in the process. I wish I had this when I started out!

Find out more at sherrierohde.com/course

Do you want to feel calmer, more confident, resilient and balanced as a Therapy Dog team?

These are the life skills I wish that someone taught me at the beginning of my journey towards becoming a Therapy Dog team.

Instead I learned how to build them through my own journey and in studying dog behavior and human psychology while becoming a Pro Dog Trainer, Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist and getting my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy.

So I put it all together in a 10 week comprehensive program that helps you and your dog to learn how to:

✨ Cultivate Calmness
✨ Boost Confidence
✨ Foster Resilience
✨ Embrace Balance

And the best part is we’re going to be having so much fun together along the way because you’ll be learning games to play with your dogs to help them develop their skills.

This course is perfect for you if:

✨ You’re just getting started but you already know that you want a good foundation.

✨ You’ve tackled basic obedience skills with your dog and want to learn more.

✨ You’re an experienced handler who wants to build a better relationship with your dog.

•

If you’re ready to become a confident, resilient Therapy Dog team find out more at sherrierohde.com/course

•

Have questions? Drop them in the chat or send me a DM.

•

05/18/2023

In 2011, we lost my mom to cancer. My dad said he wouldn’t remarry. I told him he still had a lot of life ahead of him.

In looking for a friend, he found someone to partner with and in 2014 they married.

When he told me he was going to start dating, to make sure it was okay with me, I told him to find someone he would enjoy retirement with.

He did.

They lived this last decade to its fullest and I am so grateful to her family for accepting him as part of theirs.

In 2022, she was diagnosed with cancer as well. Last night, her journey came to an end.

We were able to spend some time with them a couple weeks ago and I am so grateful for that.

Rylie and Sunny both were able to come to the hospice home with us and while they both enjoyed saying hello to the nurses, Rylie also enjoyed lying in bed with my stepmom.

I think she knew she loves dogs and that she once had a Riley, too. Or she just realized it was the best vantage point for watching birds.

My heart is shattered for my dad. It’s not fair that he went through this once, let alone twice.

Losing her makes it feel like 2011 was yesterday and the emotions of losing my mom back then are once again raw and real.

I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I know how much it meant to my mom to have Matilda (cat sister) hang out in her hospice bed all those years ago and I know how much it meant to my stepmom to have the pups around earlier this month.

Hug the people in your life and share your pups if they enjoy it.

Sometimes that’s all that we can do.

🫶💕

02/10/2023

Happy Friday, y’all!

Today seems like a good day to reintroduce the main characters of this account. Are you ready?

🙋🏼‍♀️ I’m Sherrie. By day I work in tech, by night I see clients as an AMFT and the rest of the time I’m adventuring, learning, training my dogs or podcasting (). I have an actual diagnosis for ADHD and Sunny is my prescribed Emotional Support Animal. I’m a games-based concept Pro Dog Trainer as well as working towards practitioner status for TTouch and my goal is to work in Animal-Assisted Play Therapy while helping other current or aspiring Therapy Dog guardians improve their relationship through play.

🐕 Sunny is my three year old Chihuahua mix who I rescued in December 2019 at 3-4 months old. She has her AKC CGC and TKN titles. We are currently focused on optimism, disengagement and confidence in her training. She’s obsessed with duck bacon and loves to snuggle and explore new places.

🐕 Rylie is our new puppy who we rescued through on January 26, 2023, after falling in love through ’s stories about fostering her. She’s 4 months old and working on calmness and proximity while we encourage her confidence and guard her optimism. She’s obsessed with anything that fits in her mouth.

You will also often see Daniel, my husband, as the girls are deeply in love with him which makes some of the cutest content you will ever see.

We also have a 16.5 year old cat named Matilda who I rescued on February 14, 2008, making her my longest lasting valentine to date.

(Collectively we have so many friends who make regular appearances here too but I’ll leave it at our household so as not to overwhelm you!)

Did you learn anything new?

Introduce yourself in the comments and let me know a fun fact about yourself or feel free to ask us questions!

•

ID: A white woman smiles while wearing a black beanie and sweater and holding two small tan dogs with floppy ears who are both most likely Chihuahua mixes.

02/09/2023

Look who was on the absoluteDOGS page! 😍

01/01/2023

Hi there, 2023. ✨

We’re not really resolutions people and pups but here’s to a year of taking care of ourselves and each other.

As part of this we’ll continue to focus on building Sunny’s optimism, confidence and dimmer switch through games based training.

Whether or not it leads us to therapy dog, which I still believe it will, it helps her to enjoy her life and continues to build our bond.

🥂

What are you focused on this year?

•

📸: .la

ID: A small tan dog with floppy ears standing on and in front of a light green background.