Solution!

She is out walking her hyper-charged little dog, a cute
mixed-breed with an over-abundance of enthusiasm
for all the challenges life offers. I've grown fond of the
little fellow over the years, although nothing to match
my emotional attachment to my own even smaller,
eye-appealing companion who stole my heart ten years
ago. When they were pups hers tormented mine, until
the victim finally stood, snarled, pounced and trounced.

An uneasy truce followed over the succeeding years,
hers glad to greet us, holding no grudges, and ours
studiously withholding forgiveness. Just as well we live
at opposite ends of the street. Her bumptiously adorable
dog, a practising dervish challenging the wind, matured
very nicely, just marginally surrendering its whirlwind
proclivities, while ours, sweetly lovable, maintained
his distrust of others until they proved themselves.

Our wee companion is gently amenable to the presence
of squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and such; quite equal
to the aplomb they exude, finding the challenge of
the chase readily resistible. He plods resignedly at
his stubborn leisure and no endearing verbal enticements
to process greater speed lifts him from his stately pace.
Sheer boredom, a response to the familiarity of trails
too well known. Expose him to a new and different
environment and his interest aroused, he rushes
purposefully ahead, adventure of the new, triumphant.

Her little dog is muscularly svelte, not an ounce out of
place. Ours, in sad contrast, resembles a child's over-
stuffed little bear. His long, floppy ears book-ending
moistly reverential eyes, his delicate legs hoisting aloft
a sausage-fat little body. Our little fellow has, in his
lifetime, accompanied us on many adventures, and has
proven his mettle by climbing mountain tops alongside
us. He has his own companion, a black female, eight
years older than he, and as fully energetic despite her age.

Our neighbour's unsolicited advice is intriguing and,
unfortunately, somewhat revolting. She has a friend, she
waxes knowledgeably, who solved her own little dog's
weight problem thusly: "Tie a 3-to-5-lb. weight firmly
on its back. To discourage him from eating so much."
Her friend's dog, she avers, responded splendidly to
this novel weight-reduction brain-wave. No doubt.