My neighbors have noticed that Winslow, my 2-year-old Corgi, is gaining weight.  (This is a lot like noticing that Congress isn’t getting anything done or Hollywood marriages don’t seem stable.)  He arrived with a menu in his paws.

I’ve had many dogs in my life –  70 years of Cocker Spaniels, Samoyeds, Newfie/Lab crosses, Bichons, Cairns, Scotties, Pomeranians and Coton de Tulears – but no dog has organized the day so perfectly by meal times.  We need no Blackberry at our house.  Winslow has us in hand.

He makes sure we rise in time to walk him and Bella, our Coton, so we can serve them breakfast by 8:00.  (He only barks if staring at my face from two inches away fails to get the desired response.)  He prefers we all stay in one room during the day but grudgingly allows me to work in my office if I provide chew toys.  Walks and water follow at their appointed times as do Tuesday and Thursday afternoon trips to Lush Puppy day care, where he’s  called “The Mayor” and teaches new dogs the ropes.  Dinner is at 6:00 if you please.

We got Winslow a year after my partner’s Aussie died.  I read that Pembroke Welsh Corgis were great dogs for older people so I talked to people and searched for information on the web.  The photos charmed me.  A video of a Corgi jumping off a dock and belly flopping into the water sold us!  We were warned away from rescue for this breed so we put our name on a puppy waiting list from Cook Arena Corgis in Georgia.  We watched online as the puppies grew.  After eleven weeks, I flew to Atlanta and drove up to the breeders’ farm.  Heidi breeds and shows Corgis and Dale is a saddle maker and horse breeder.  Lovely people.  When Heidi placed Winslow in my arms, I was done for!

Winslow weighed 8 pounds.  In the first 24 hours of our friendship, we stayed in a hotel, took an airport train, escalator, plane and car with nary a peep out of him.  He was a total star!

At our last vet check, Winslow weighed 43 pounds (down from 47) but I think his weight has crept back up again. Aside from a Samoyed who used to beg treats from the neighbors, I have never had to worry about a dog’s weight before.  We’ll cut back on treats and add green beans to his kibble.

Winslow’s so sweet that even our vet, after discussing his diet, pats him on the head and gives him an extra bone!