3rd Place Weiner!

Yesterday Rosie took third place in the condo complex -wide pet Halloween costume contest. And frankly, I can't remember ever being so proud. She was dressed as a hot dog. It was actually an old costume - not what she'll be dressing as on Halloween, but it's always a hit.
I felt little bit guilty about enforcing the weiner dog stereotype. I read a book last year called The Hallo-wiener (I strongly recommend it) and in it was a dachshund named Oscar who is incessantly teased because he's a "weiner dog" and then is humiliated when he's to wear a hot dog costume on Halloween. After reading that I wondered if maybe Rosie felt similarly to Oscar. I'd never asked. But then, one day earlier this fall, I was taking Rosie for a walk and we were returning to my condo from the park when an SUV comes flying by and some teenager has his body half way out the front window as he screams "WEINER DOG" at Rosie. She ran barking after him. I figured that was my answer. She doesn't appreciate the stereotype. So I've tried to be sensitive. But, this was a big contest and I knew the hot dog costume was our best chance for winning.
So, she came in behind the poodle dressed as Snow White and the yellow lab in a swimsuit and goggles. Part of that could have been because a cocker spaniel pulled the buns off of Rosie and ran off with them halfway through the constest. I guess those are the risks that come with competing. However, third prize was a box of bones that supposedly taste like turkey. Rosie has been very pleased with them so far. So I think some important lessons were learned. 1) Sometimes stereotypes can be funny and not offensive. 2) Rosie is a hot commodity when it comes to competing for bones. 3) Avoid cocker spaniels when you're wearing stuffed hot dog buns on your back.
*the photo is one taken in 2006 of Rosie wearing the costume - not from yesterday's competition