Belle, On a Diet.

Everyone's favorite canine heroine is as lovable as ever. And lately there is a little more Belle to love. When I took her for a check-up and vaccinations a while back, Belle weighed nine pounds more than when she left Kansas City. I wasn't that concerned at first because she was always a little skinny so I thought it was probably just the decrease in her puppy appetite.

But then I began to really notice the extra pudge around her belly. On Sunday, Rachel tried to take her on a six mile run with Copper. Belle was exhausted after two miles. They tried again on Tuesday, and Belle was exhausted again very early and ended up walking with me instead.

Oh Belle. Poor poor Belle. The whole situation is made worse because I know that a lot of this is my fault. I spoiled her during the long winter with puppy biscuits and not enough exercise. And peanut butter, oh, the peanut butter. It made her happy, and she would leave me alone for awhile to clean it off her bone.

We're walking more thanks to the return of warmer temperatures and melted snow. And the other day I stopped at the pet store to pick up this bag of dog food. It's the same brand Belle's been eating, just lighter. I also bought some doggie treats that are "lite."

Look at her face. She knows she's been put on a diet.

So far, so good. No complaints at meal time.