Fat Fairy visited....

Taffy, my neighbors dog, down the cul-de-sac from us, (thankfully a basset hound) literally couldn't get up to walk on her own. She needed to be lifted. She was huge. I'd walk her, as she was the only thing close to my "own" dog I'd have for a bit yet....she hardly made it down the driveway. It was downhill. I've always said, I'd never have a puppy that looked like that.

Careful what you say.

I mean, I suppose I knew that Pucker Up was a little....chubby.

Festively Plump covered it for a while...only the holidays have come and gone. I put her on diet food - a puppy! on diet food!! I cut back on treats. The only thing she was losing? Her manners. Training became tougher, using the dangling carrot method. As is, Real Carrots. Less interesting than say.....anything else. She won't lay down for a carrot...not that I might either, but that's not the point. I don't have to lay down on command.

AM came for dinner, with G, and Gracie, their lovely, lithe, fully in shape (the right one) Shepador (german shepard, lab, and maybe something else) - first words out of her mouth? Oh My God! She's so fat! (enter laughing) She's put on so much weight!!

And.

Well.

She has.

Watching her attack both her dinner, and Gracie's, which she's never really done before, showed me a greedy side that left me speechless. Gracie, who usually happily eats Pucker's food, turned her nose up at the high quality low fat offerings in Pucker's bowl - not that Pucker minded. She took that down too!

I'm embarrassed. I walk her, wondering if folks are making the same kind of noises in their heads that I have done, when seeing a heavy pup - what are they feeding that poor thing? Twinkies? Ding Dongs? Bless it's little heart...not enough exercise....lazy ass owner.

I want to say, No, I swear! I run with her! She's just Fluffy! (except she has short hair, so that excuse falls rather short) or...um...big boned. She's not. She's just plain fat.

Bless her heart.

I cut down on her food; she's resorted to Revenge: she ate my photo portfolio, sections of the wall, the bottom of a cabinet. Chair legs, table legs all bear the frustrated marks of the starving. Which, clearly, she's not. Seated? Fat hangs over her legs from her hips; I nearly threw out my back picking her up the other day to trim her nails.

I'm not sure how I missed how heavy she'd gotten - even after losing some weight! - maybe, because I still see her as the less than 3 pound puppy Mag's and I picked up. Not the...30+ monster she's become.

The sad part? She's lost weight, so I can only imagine AM's comments, had she not already located a bit of her waist again. She no longer bears as much resemblance to a root beer barrel with legs; however, she certainly won't qualify for "svelte" anytime soon. She looks even fatter, standing next to Gracie - who has long hair to boot!!

We've taken up running, her and I; neither one of us terribly fond, however, her four legs quit long before my two. I've located two of my abs; she located a short cut through the woods, after slipping out of her collar.

She in for a surprise, because I read online how to turn my tub, with the jets, into a swimming pool for pups; less issue with her joints, especially as she's carrying some extra weight, all I need? Either a "floatation device", or, stand there and hold a towel under her tummy so her paws won't hit the bottom.

I suppose, I'll be working on my arm strength.

I swore, I'd never have a Taffy. I won't.

Not before she's even hit her first birthday.