Today was Bergie’s BIG day at the vet: her second weigh-in since she joined our family. As you may recall, she’s been on a slim-down regimen for the past three months, and we’ve noticed a small but exciting difference as her hip bones emerged from the flab. She’s still a full-figured pup, but we’ve been diligent with her food, and we have walked and walked and walked and walked.  THIS DOG has had more exercise than all the other dogs I’ve had or even known, combined. I went into today with great expectations.

She gained three pounds.

I was flabbergasted. I started babbling to the vet about how careful we’re being, how much we’re walking, how no, she doesn’t pig out on treats because she’s not all that interested in them. I’m sure he thought I was lying–people fib all the time to hide the way they indulge their pets. But rather than feeling guilty about unconfessed dog feeding splurges, I was actually thinking,  “Omigosh, that doesn’t even count the two pounds of stuff she just puked up when she got out of the car because she was car sick…”

Sigh.

There will be more walking, and perhaps we’ll add an after dinner run.  The vet gave me a specially measuring cup to use in feeding her (in case the “cup and a half” of food I’ve been giving her has been measured out with a chowder bowl). We’ll keep getting her to wiggle her giant self in excitement, because moving all that self around MUST burn calories.  And we’ll see what happens.

In the meantime, we’ll enjoy having so much more of her to love.  Because a chubby Bergie is so very much better than no Bergie at all :)