2014 Rat Terrier Roundup!

Welcome!  The 2014 Rat Terrier Roundup has officially begun, and you can cast your vote for this year's best and brightest rat terrier!  Who will be the puppy of the year?  Only you can decide!  I hope you enjoy scrolling through these canine memories from 2014.  Let me know who you would like to vote for by either leaving a comment on the blog or sending me your vote by email.  May the best pup win!

Our first contestant is Charlie, who considers himself to be "30 pounds of pure puppy soul".  This year was quite literally Charlie's time in the sun, whether on Mama's lap or a corner of the carpet.



Throughout the year, Charlie made several car voyages, proving himself to be an excellent traveler (contrary to the widely-circulated "pukey" rumors).  Here we see him resting peacefully with his little sister.

Having now entered middle age and feeling more confident about his self image, Charlie sported a variety of styles this year, ranging from classic academic...

...to contemporary rugged.

Not all of 2014 was a breeze for Char-Char, though.  In the spring his bravery was tested when a ripped dew claw had to be removed.  Poor boy!  But he was an excellent patient and heeded the vet's advice to rest and snuggle.

Truly, this handsome pup is a lover!
 

Contestant number two is quite possibly the doggiest dog of them all.  With the heart of a lion and the eyes of a doe, Penny took on the big city with much gusto this year.

Approximately 80% of her year was spent snuggling, but she was at least able to turn it into a viable career path by modeling for a variety of local artists including yarn artisans and pop art painters.



Life in NYC combined with her new economic independence led her to make progressively more daring fashion choices culminating in the pom-pom hat of 2014:

The remaining 20% of her year was spent in various intellectual pursuits including reading about the origins of classical philosophy...

...pondering theories of coevolution of humans and canines...

...theorizing about the economics of rawhide supply and demand...


...and spreading love and comfort.

Our third contestant for the 2014 title is none other than the inimitable Spanky.  One would think that after last year's blatant smear campaign against her, she would shudder to enter the fray yet again, but Spanky is proving to be a determined candidate.

She spent a large portion of this past year contemplating a species-change to feline.  After viewing the preliminary mockups, however, she wisely decided that the world was not yet ready to face the horror of a Spanky-cat.

Spanky also participated in a family road trip.  Although provided for like a princess in the back seat of the car, she did feel that one more down comforter and another pillow or two would have been ideal:
 

And none of us will ever forget where we were when news of the Spanky-goes-to-New-Orleans scandal broke.  I, for one, was spending a peaceful Christmas with Mr. Mersy when suddenly the following paparazzi photo landed in my text message box:

The photographic evidence speaks for itself, but eye witness accounts corroborate the story that while left alone in the car, Spanky tried to rip open a bag of crackers but instead accidentally ensnared herself in the packaging, requiring emergency rescue upon her owners' return.  Oh the shame!

Last, and quite possibly least, we come to our smallest contestant, Stuey.  Weighing in at a mere four pounds, he has proved to pack a whole lot of heart and soul into his wee little body.

While still sometimes struggling to really define who he his and how he fits into the world around him, Stuey has brought joy to all those near to him.

He exemplifies those finest canine qualities of loyalty, bravery, curiosity, and unbounded joy.

In his own unique way, he is quite possibly the noblest of them all.

 An honorable mention has also been extended to a newly arrived puppy who, while not a rat terrier, still has much charm!  Please welcome wee Cooper to the Mersy family!

Please be sure to cast your votes early and often!  The results will be tabulated by myself and Mr. Mersy, and the winner of the 2014 rat terrier roundup will be announced in the first week of January.  Good luck to all our fine contestants!
~Mersydotes


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