Derek Hough is saying goodbye to a companion who was there long before he became a husband and father.
The "Dancing with the Stars" judge announced the death of his dog Romie in an Oct. 25 Instagram tribute, describing the emptiness left by a pet who had helped him through difficult chapters of his life. Hough, a six-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion, has served as a judge on the show since 2020
."Romie came into my life when I was just trying to figure life out, it was just me and him. And for a long time, he was my constant. He saw me at my worst and at my best. He loved me through it all and somehow gave me purpose when I couldn't find it myself," Hough wrote in his Sunday tribute.
The post included a video showing Romie walking away
on bed of sun-drenched green grass.
"Waking up without him feels unreal. I keep looking at that spot where he'd usually come around the bushes, waiting, hoping. It's strange to know he won't come around that bend again."
He ended his tribute by thanking his beloved pet for "choosing" him and "carrying me, for giving me so much."
Derek Hough says Romie lived long enough to meet his daughter
In his tribute, Hough reflected on the family milestones Romie had been there to witness.
"He watched me grow up, fall in love, become a husband," he wrote. "And when he started to get tired, I asked him to hold on so he could meet his little sister, and he kept his promise. He held on."
Hough and fellow dancer Hayley Erbert welcomed their first child, daughter Everley Capri Hough, on Dec. 29, 2025. The couple married Aug. 26, 2023, after eight years together.
Erbert also paid tribute to the pet dog that had become a staple part of her life for "11 beautiful years."
"I had the privilege of loving you with my whole heart and being loved by you in return. You were the first dog I called mine after moving to Los Angeles, and I couldn't have asked for a better companion over the years," wrote Erbert in an emotional Instagram post featuring a video compilation of Romie.
She thanked Hough for brining Romie into her life, adding, "He was truly the best boy, the greatest protector of our family, the sweetest big brother to Luna and Everley, and he will be the best guardian angel."
How Derek Hough adopted Romie
Hough met Romie in 2012 while volunteering to walk dogs at a Los Angeles rescue, he told The Spruce Pets in a 2023 interview. The rescue shelter offered to let him take Romie home overnight.
"He jumped on the couch and laid on my lap and I was like, 'Ope, OK. You're mine now,'" Hough said during the interview.
In his farewell post, Hough thanked Romie for choosing his family and for everything the dog had given him.
"Goodbye for now my sweet sweet Romie Boy," he wrote.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'DWTS' judge Derek Hough mourns dog death: 'An ache that feels unbearable'
