About Us

Thanks for stopping by to meet the Northern Michigan Mutts!

A young woman wearing glasses and a jean jacket poses for a photo in a field of tulips with a white dog. The dog is facing the camera with its ears pulled back and is wearing a black collar with a teal harness. The young woman has wavy, golden-brown hair.

I’m Abbie, a Michigander by birth and a lifelong lover of all creatures big and small. I currently live in northern Michigan with my partner, Alex, and our three rescued dogs.

I’m a self-proclaimed “Mitten Enthusiast” and love to kayak, camp, and hike throughout the state. But none of my adventures would be complete without my dogs. They are my entire world, and I strive to create a life filled with adventures we can enjoy together. This passion is what has led me to pursue a certification as a professional dog trainer. I want every pet owner to have the tools and resources to live their best lives with their dogs, too!

I work in nonprofit communications by day and enjoy many creative pursuits outside of my 8-5. You can often find me practicing my hobby photography, attempting home DIY projects, gardening, cooking, trying new restaurants, reading, or doing yoga.

Get to Know the Mutts

Luke

Luke is the first dog I adopted in my adult life and the inspiration for so much. He is brilliant but has struggled with anxiety and epilepsy. Building Luke’s confidence and creating a life where he feels safe and secure has been one of my greatest joys.

When 2020 hit, Luke and I found ourselves living alone with lots of time on our hands. We began dabbling in some dog sports including trick training, agility, scent work, and rally. These activities helped me realize my passion for better understanding dog behavior and helping others do the same.

Luke made his AKC scent work debut in September 2023 and has since earned titles in Advanced Buried, Containers, Interior, and Exterior elements. He also holds his Intermediate Trick Dog title.

I can’t wait to continue growing our training relationship and our list of accomplishments together… but above all else, Luke is my greatest adventure buddy and my steadfast companion. He is loyal to a fault and inspires me to be a better dog trainer each and every day.

Tito

Tito is the “Covid puppy” we brought home as a foster on Halloween weekend in 2021. He was surrendered by his previous owner to local animal control at just eight weeks old. He made his way to Cherryland Humane Society and then to our home. He never left!

Tito is a sporty little pocket rocket who loves swimming, playing frisbee, a good game of tug, and all things balls. He holds AKC Novice Trick Dog, UAD Senior Elite Jumpers, and K9 Toss & Fetch Certified Frisbee Dog titles.

My biggest training focus with Tito has centered around managing his arousal, frustration, and excitement levels around toys, dogs, and people. He’s a “do now, think later” kind of dog, but we’re working hard to flip that script!

Despite these challenges, Tito is also a sensitive, snuggly pittie boy, and is the best big “brother” to all our foster puppies. It’s impossible not to have fun when Tito is around!

Mabel

Our small and mighty rescue ween, Mabel is a 10-year-old (best guess) long-haired miniature dachshund (probably). She was saved by the good people at Cherryland Humane Society from a hoarding case in Grand Traverse County in 2022. Despite her rough background, she now spends her days living like royalty!

While many things make her special, the most noteworthy is that Mabel is missing her lower jaw. But don’t be fooled… this doesn’t slow our sassy, happy queen one bit.

Mabel missed out on far too many years of getting to just “be a dog.” We’re doing our best to make up for it by showing her as much of this world as she wants to see.

Foster Dogs

Fostering for local rescues is a passion of mine. I’m grateful to have a partner who supports this passion, dogs who are social and puppy-tolerant, and a flexible job that enables me to work from home.

Foster dogs come and go from our home throughout the year. Our longest-term foster stayed for over three months, while our shortest guest was here for just one night. You will likely see appearances from these dogs in photos and videos, on my blog, and on my social media channels.

Fun Fact: We have fostered 19+ dogs since we started our foster journey in June 2021!

You can keep up with our latest adventures at @nomichmutts on Instagram.