Victory Ahoy!

For 11 years, Rudy and I have been attending dog Halloween costume contests.

Every year, without fail, I become absolutely convinced that this is the year Rudy and I are finally going to win. And every year, without fail, we do not.

To be clear, it’s not for lack of effort. Rudy and I show up committed. We’ve been a flower and a bee (objectively adorable), a lion and a lion tamer (excellented executed), and even the frog prince and a princess (his best work yet).

However, despite all the effort, we have nothing to show for it except for execellent photos (check out Rudy's Insta).

This year, we really went for it. Not one, not two, but three separate events. Three chances at glory. Three opportunities for Rudy to charm a panel of judges who, historically, have overlooked his very obvious star power.

And finally—finally!—we placed.

Well. Sort of.

As pirates we earned an honorable mention. Not quite the decisive victory I'd imagined, but at this point, I’m taking it as a win. Or at least, a step in the right direction.

Rudy, for his part, remains humble. Unbothered. Mostly interested in the snacks and the attention, and blissfully unaware of the political complexities of costume judging.

But me? I’m already thinking about next year.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: great stories take revision. And clearly, so do great costumes.

Let us know if you have any awesome ideas for next year's contests and check out our past attempts below and follow Rudy at #RudytheRudabaga on Instagram to see more adventures!