Bagger's real name is Bred's Bird Bagging Boy. He is a full blooded Chocolate Lab with a fairly impressive hunting pedigree, thus the hopeful name. Over the years his registered name has turned more into a punch line like calling the one-eyed, three legged, deaf dog LUCKY! The sad irony is that the only thing Bagger will retrieve is a Happy Meal from off the kitchen counter.
Now before I begin this story I need to let you know a little bit about Bagger. Kevin bought him from a breeder near Waco and we got a steal on him because of two "major" flaws. I say "major" because they might be major to a breeder, show dog owner, or champion field dog owner but they are ridiculously minor to a pet owner.) We got Bagger for a discount because of a dime sized white spot on his chest and the fact that he was a giant. Much like the old cartoon about Lambert, the Sheepish Lion who stuck out from the other lambs like a towering bohemouth, Bagger towered over his siblings. I mean freakishly large! At 3 months he weighed over 30 lbs and didn't have an ounce of fat on him. At 6 months he weighed over 70 lbs. You get my point. He's more horse than dog. Our fabulous vet, Dr. A.B. (we'll call him this so if you google him looking for a vet my post won't show up) told us that Bagger's working weight would easily be 100 - 105 lbs. BIG FREAKING LAB!
So here we are today. Bagger is a BIG FREAKING LAB indeed. But you see, somewhere between the 2 dogs we had put down, the dozens of other dogs we "fostered" and having a baby, Bagger's diet has turned into weenies and canned food and a nightly ritual of no less than 2 rawhides...which WE have to hold for him while he chews! Needless to say, we have some minor health issues. The first to go was Bagger's thyroid. It doesn't work and I catch myself defending him like a mother of the fat kid..."He has GLANDULAR issues!" And now, most recently we have discovered that Bagger has the most embarrassing fat dog disease ever.....
TYPE 2 DIABETES! That's right folks...Bagger has the horrible disease that every trainer, nutritionist and doctor in the world warns you about. ("don't eat that...you'll end up with type 2 diabetes!") And what's the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes?!?!?! Diet and exercise!!!!!! And what really just chaps my hide is that Kowboy Gilliland Stephens never had Type 2 Diabetes! (May he rest in peace! - sorry Jenna!)
So Bagger's on a diet. Well, he'll start one on Monday because that's when you start a diet and as a life long, career dieter I sat him down and explained to him what he was about to go through...the embarassing weigh ins, the hunger pangs, the feeling of loss and hopelessness - oh, wait...did I say that outloud - tee hee.
We'll add a "Bagger Weighs In" column to keep you all posted on his progress. As much as I complain about the furry monster, I do love him.
Oh and the starting weight is....146. He weighed 118 in August of 2006 - YIKES!
This picture was taken almost a year ago so he's bigger than this, but I figure this picture showed that he was big enough!
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