Losing Axl was one of the hardest things we’ve ever gone through.

He came into our lives in 2015, all sharp eyes and mischief, and quickly became the heartbeat of our home. Axl wasn’t just smart — he was clever. We actually had to change all the door handles in the house because he figured out how to open them. That was who he was: determined, too smart for his own good, and always one step ahead of us.

In the summer of 2022, Axl started slowing down. He wasn’t eating the way he used to, and he began to lose weight. We took him to the vet, and after a series of blood tests, she gave us the diagnosis: leptospirosis.

Watching him fade was heartbreaking — slow, painful, and emotional in a way we hadn’t prepared for. It felt traumatic. It was the kind of grief that doesn’t just visit — it moves in, quietly rearranging everything.

And yet, not long after he passed, we knew. We needed another dog. Not to replace Axl — that would never be possible — but to help us through the grief, to bring light back into the everyday moments that felt a little too quiet.

We went straight back to the same breeder, Kimmy Seegmiller. She had been devastated to hear what happened to Axl. It was one of those conversations that didn’t need many words. She knew how much we loved him. She knew we were grieving.

That’s when we found Ryder.

Well — to be honest, he was the last in his litter. But he was born on my birthday, August 29th, and the moment we heard that, it felt like a little cosmic nudge. Axl’s way of saying, “This one’s yours.”

When we met Ryder, it was instant. He made direct eye contact — and didn’t stop. There was this deep, loving presence in him that was both new and familiar. He was the most lovable little pup I’d ever seen. Scrappy, yes, but with the sweetest soul. Chris and I sat on the couch tossing around name ideas until one finally stuck: Ryder.

And now? Life is noisy again. Ryder keeps us busy in the best way. He tilts his head when we talk to him — like he’s listening for the punchline. His personality is incredibly sweet, and his patience runs deeper than Axl’s ever did. But they’re both brilliant in that classic rat terrier way. Ryder is his own dog, but sometimes, in the way he watches us, I swear I see a little flicker of Axl.

We still think about Axl every single day. Some days more quietly than others. But Ryder… he’s been our reminder that love doesn’t stop with loss. It finds new ways to show up. Sometimes it has four paws and a birthday that feels like fate.

I.don’t know what we’d do without him.

Ryder, and the Dog Who Led Us to Him

The Roads We Travel