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Sam | Life, Travel, and Adventure with dogs 🐾

@mittenmadepups

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🌲Exploring Michigan & beyond
🐾 Alfred 🍞, Lilly 🐀, Bobby 👨🏻‍🍳
🚙 Dedicated to our Forever Copilot, Dexter 🦊
✉️ [email protected]

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“In the journey of life, you were the best travel companion.”

On September 2nd we said goodbye to Dexter. A week prior he had his first seizure. After testing at the ER nothing was discovered & he recovered with some minor ataxia. Then that Friday we had a follow-up with our vet for more testing to see if his current meds had caused it, however when we got home Dexter had another seizure. This time he didn’t bounce back & struggled with moving, going to the bathroom, & eating/drinking on his own. Our vet started him on anti-seizure medication that night.

The next day our vet called saying the results were negative. He gave us his cell to ask any questions while we waited on an appointment with a neurologist in a few weeks & so we could text any updates. However, Dexter deteriorated more overnight. Even with us doing everything for him, sleeping on the floor next to him, & trying whatever we could to make him feel as normal as possible, he was struggling with the most basic things & was not himself.

After some research & more conversations with our vet, it was clear that Dexter likely had a brain tumor or cancer which was making him unable to recover & causing him to deteriorate. Garrett & I had to have the hardest conversation of our lives, but we both had already come to the same conclusion. I had promised myself long ago that I would listen when my dogs said they were ready & Dex was.

So we set up an appointment for 9/2, but had all of Labor Day weekend to celebrate him. I’ll do a separate post on everything we did, but ultimately we gave him a few days of going to his favorite places & seeing some of his favorite people in the whole world. We were fortunate all weekend to see glimpses of Dexters old self throughout due to his excitement of all his favorite things & people.

Then on 9/2 we had the backyard set up & hung out with all the pups. The Vet came to our home & we said our final goodbyes to our bestest boy. It was extremely difficult to let him go, but we knew it was what was best for him.

Today marks his 10th Gotcha Day, a day we had hoped to celebrate with him. However, all we can say now is we love him & miss him terribly. by @mittenmadepups

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a year ago

Happy 4th Gotcha Day to our forever baby, Lilly 🫶

She truly is such a special dog and our relationship has grown immensely since Dexters passing. She has always been empathetic dog, but another layer was added and now she just knows things without me needing to tell her. She still lets her wild girl side come out every once in a while and will tell us how she feels with her dads, but knows she is the leader now who has to show everyone how to behave. She is such a good girl and I truly don’t think I knew what to expect when we got her 4 years ago. However I am glad we did.

Love you sewer rat🫶

#gotchaday #rescuedog #lifewithdogs by @mittenmadepups

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3 days ago

✨September Recap✨

This month was difficult with the anniversary of Dexters death & getting sick, but it had some positives. The month included:

🐾Finally getting the tattoo of Dexters paw print/photo on my arm.
🏕️Going to the U.P. For 48 hours (although cut short sadly)
🥾Hiked 5 times on varying trails
📚My nieces first day of school, being the 3rd generation to attend
🔥Bonfires in the backyard
⚽️Starting soccer with my niece again
💼 Finishing my work fiscal year with good performance reviews.
🐶 Working with some brands on reviews of products.
👧🏻Sleepovers & play dates with my niece.
💪Classes with Cathy at Bodies in Motion!
🥊 Working out with my favorite 5:30AM girls

October is my favorite month. I am so ready for spooky season & our fun trip this month. 🎃

#2026 #SeptemberRecap #lifewithdogs taken in Michigan by @mittenmadepups

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15 days ago

✨Bob-date✨

Bobby is officially one month away from being one! Updates on Bobby:

✨Age: 11 months
✨Weight: 80lbs
✨Tricks he is learning: pretty & pushing things with his snoot.
✨Problems he is working on: Learning to grab toys instead of things to destroy when he is frustrated. Although he still likes pulling tissues or napkins out of the trash or off the table, but he has started restraining himself after putting his head in the cans or sniffing table (aka making better choices)
✨Accomplishment: Longest car ride ever, he was relaxed for over 10 hours in the car and was fine with only 2 breaks.
✨Sleeping: starts on the bed, goes in the crate, then usually ends up on the couch in the living room at some point.
✨Favorite things: his Benebone & Betterbone, fetch, Lilly, my niece, his neighbor dog bestie, sticks, hiking, water, outside, cuddles, laying in front of the window, playing in the backyard, running on the beach, swimming, tearing apart toys for squeakers, whip cream, & all people/dogs.
✨Things he hates: being told not to chew/mess with Lilly, bugs, when our neighbors don’t bring his bestie outside with them, & when we leave.
✨Experiences: first long haul car ride; two new trails in Michigan; sleeping with my niece when she sleeps over;
✨Other pups: Lilly & Alfred both adore Bob. Although Bob pushes Lilly’s buttons and tries to get her to play often, they are still buds. Alfred has gotten closer to Bob & chooses to be with Bob/snuggle him frequently.

It’s crazy to think Bob is almost one. We will be celebrating a little early with him this year, since we will be out of town on the actual day, but he is gonna have a blast for his first birthday.

#puppy #dogsofinstagram #rescuedog by @mittenmadepups

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21 days ago

Happy Fall 🍁🍂🎃

I meant to post this yesterday, but it has been a very difficult month. Especially with the anniversary of Dexters passing and my attempt to do my first solo camping trip with the dogs without Dexter. However, the universe had other plans so now I am sick & had to haul myself home quickly before it got worse.

Fall has always been one of my favorite times of year, I love the weather, the colors, & all the activities. When I got Dexter I fell even more in love with it because he was colored like fall, he loved rolling in the leaves, he loved camping in cool weather, he loved to go get a cider mill donut, he loved driving down dirt roads with all the colors, he basically loved it all.

So here are some throwbacks of some of my favorite fall photos throughout the years.

#fall #petloss #michiganfall taken in Michigan by @mittenmadepups

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24 days ago

Forever homesick for this boy 💔

Today is Dexters Gotcha Day. In 2015 my life changed after Garrett went to pick up this dog from Toledo. Garrett had been struggling to get Dexter in the house while I was at work, then I got home & Dexter immediately came to me, kissed me, & let me love on him. He still didn’t want to go up the stairs to our flat, but he felt safe even after G picked him up & carried him up.

Dexter was nervous like all dogs when their lives change, but he quickly became the most amazing dog & was the exact dog we needed.

Him & I were inseparable from that first day. He went everywhere with me that he was allowed. He got me back into hiking & photography. He helped me through all the highs & lows of law school, letting me talk to him about different laws or cry when I was overwhelmed with all the work. He got me through every job I had in law school & the 4 jobs I have had since becoming a lawyer. He helped us go from boyfriend & girlfriend to engaged to married. He taught two other dogs we brought in his life how to be good dogs. He got us from an apartment to a house. He experienced every car we both have had. He helped us discover our love for road tripping & traveled to 49 states with us. He helped us become who we are, especially me.

A year ago I was completely lost after losing him & to some degree I still am. I am still learning how to exist without him here every day. However, I wouldn’t change the life he helped me build & everything we did together. He will forever be my heart dog & the one who made me who I am.

I love & miss you Dexter 🫶

#GotchaDay #RescueDog #Greif #PetLoss taken in Michigan by @mittenmadepups

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a month ago

Happy #906 Day!

In celebration of our favorite place, the U.P., here are some of our favorite spots to visit:
✨Lake Michigan beaches
✨Lake Superior State Forest
✨Brockway Mountain Drive
✨Lake Superior beaches
✨The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
✨Canyon Falls
✨Marquette

#upperpeninsulamichigan #michigan #travelwithdogs taken in Upper Peninsula of Michigan by @mittenmadepups

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a month ago

My forever copilot 🫶

In honor of Dexter, I finally got the tattoo I have talked about for years. Even before he passed I always wanted Dexters paw print on my arm, because he would always paw me and place his paw on my left arm whenever he wanted something. It took me so long to decide what photo I wanted on the inside of his paw print though and that’s why I waited years to get the tattoo.

For the longest time I thought I would get the photo of him and I at Crater Lake together on our first major road trip. However, I didn’t want to put myself on my arm. It wasn’t until he passed and I was talking with a friend that I realized the best option was a photo in his favorite spot, being majestic, at sunset. That’s how I picked the photo of him on Lake Superior in the Porcupine Mountains on our first wedding anniversary. Him in his favorite place, doing what he loved.

Thanks to @zachkhewitt @wellwishes_tattoo my tattoo finally came to life. It truly is exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed to commemorate one year without my heart dog.

I am so very happy to finally have my forever copilot with me always.

#heartdog #grief #petloss #tattoo by @mittenmadepups

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a month ago

One year without you 💔

I genuinely don’t know how it’s been this long.
Some days it feels like you were just here,
Others feel like it’s been an eternity since I last saw you.
I feel your presence every day, but it’s truly not the same.
I see you everywhere I look until you go away.
What I wouldn’t give to have just one more day with you.
All I want to do is snuggle you and see your smile once again.
I want to see you lead the pack and just give me a look back.

To have a heart dog is such a blessing and a curse.
Because I was so very lucky to have lived with you on this earth together for as long as we did
But now I have to live the rest of my life without you here again.
What I wouldn’t give to just have you back again.

I miss you every single day Dexter, but I hope you are doing well. Hopefully gallivanting with your friends in places you’ve never been, while visiting old places you loved as much as you want.

I love and miss you puppy 🫶

#grief #petloss #lifewithdogs #heartdog by @mittenmadepups

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a month ago

✨August Recap✨

This month was full of some amazing experiences while also dealing with some grief. The month included:

🎉 Celebrated Lilly & my birthdays
🏕️Camped in the U.P., enjoying Bobby’s first time there.
🥾Hiked 9 times, with most in the U.P.
🛶Kayaked with Jen
🌊Played on the shores of Lake Michigan & Superior.
🚙Drove down some new dirt roads in the U.P.
⛰️Visited Mt. Arvon, the highest point in Michigan
✋Visited a new Michigan State Park, FJ McLain State Park
🎸Saw Hilary Duff with Jen on her Lucky Me Tour
🎥Watched Catch Me If You Can at the Redford Theater
🍔Dinner hang with Shelby
🏖️Beach day & camping on Lake Michigan with co-workers, resulting in one of the worst sunburns I’ve gotten in a long time.
👧🏻Had a sleepover with my niece which included a tour of Wayne State by Uncle G, playing with the pups, Legos, & a movie night.
💪More classes with Cathy at Bodies in Motion!
🥊Continued being consistent at the gym with my 530AM baddies, including teaching our own class when the instructor didn’t show.

Now begins the Ber months, which include some of my favorite traditions. However, it begins with one of the hardest weeks as we hit the one year anniversary of Dexters passing.

#2026 #AugustRecap #travelwithdogs by @mittenmadepups

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2 months ago

✨Bob-date✨

Bobby is officially 10 months and is growing into such a good dog, with dingus tendencies. Updates on Bobby:

✨Age: 10 months
✨Weight: 78lbs
✨Tricks he is learning: pretty, double high five, & pushing doors with his snoot (he just gets sad & whines thinking he can’t open it).
✨Problems he is working on: He is no longer destroying property while hanging out in the house, he is just grabbing the shoes of whoever has left & laying by them. He also still likes pulling tissues out of the trash or grabbing napkins off the table though, but has started telling on himself.
✨Accomplishment: Although he is still working on earning his ability to be out of the crate when we are away, but he earned the right to be out of the crate at night again.
✨Sleeping: starts on the bed, goes in the crate, then usually ends up on the couch in the living room at some point.
✨Favorite things: his Benebone & Betterbone, fetch, Lilly, my niece, his neighbor dog bestie, sticks, hiking, outside, cuddles, laying in front of the window, playing & hanging out in the backyard, running on the beach, swimming, tearing apart toys for squeakers, whip cream, & all people/dogs.
✨Things he hates: the heat, being told not to chew/mess with Lilly, bugs, when our neighbors don’t bring his bestie outside with them, & when we leave.
✨Experiences: first injury (leg strain), first time in the U.P., first swim in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, first time in the Porkies, first experience with a waterfall, first pastie, first time swimming with a life jacket & wanting to stay in the water.
✨Other pups: Lilly is still his bud & goes full hog on rough play tackling him to the ground, but has been more clear about her boundaries. Alfred fully loves Bob, lets Bob kiss him, looks out the window with him, & lays near him.

Bob has truly started to grow into a lovable boy who wants to be good, but still has a mischievous side. He has started making better choices and I hope he continues to do so.

#puppy #dogsofinstagram #rescuedog by @mittenmadepups

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2 months ago

Road Trips are my favorite way to travel, because the dogs get to come too.

Our last big road trip was summer 2025 traveling from Michigan to Alaska. This trip had been in the works since 2020/2021 but due to border closures we had to pivot at the time, however it was well worth the wait. Although we only had 3 weeks it was such an amazing trip filled with so many beautiful places that I would love to visit again.

This trip will always be special not only due to the beautiful places we went but also it being the last big trip for Dexter and his 49th state.

Where should we road trip next?

#dogsthattravel #roadtrip #travelwithdogs by @mittenmadepups

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2 months ago