Bronze Belly

Our minds are like our stomachs; they are whetted by the change of their food, and variety supplies both with fresh appetites.

~~ Marcus Fabius Quintilian, Roman Rhetorician and Orator, 35 - 96 AD

Just call me Bronze Belly Suka! You may recall that my very sweet and cool cat friend, Kika, had a fun belly contest for both cats and dogs. Well, I was awarded third place - Bronze! I would like to thank all of my great friends who took the time to sniff their way over to Kika’s contest to vote for me. It is much appreciated, and I am a lucky pup to have such amazing friends!

Belly of a Champion!

The first place - Gold - belly honor went to my sweet and fun dog pal, Chicco. Way to go, Chicco! In Chicco’s winning belly picture he added the cuteness factor by sticking out his tongue. Very clever, Chicco!

Maybe I should have upped my cuteness factor by adding in some puppies and kitties.

This year Bronze, next year, the Gold! To do that I must start work on toning up my tummy to reach gold standards. My first step is to decide on the “how." Good old-fashioned calisthenics are always a sure thing, such as the exercises taught by Bernarr Macfadden or Jack LaLanne. But authentic yoga or a powerful martial art would also do the trick. Where are my treats? I need to eat as I mull over my choices.

Time to get serious. How do I achieve Gold belly?

~~ MOMENT OF BEAUTY ~~

François Perrier, Aeneas and His Companions Fighting the Harpies, circa 1646-1647

Luca Giordano, Aeneas Defeats Turnus (Enea Vince Turno), circa 1664

Back to me...

Let the battle for Gold begin! I will now demonstrate my first set of exercises, which I think are excellent for toning up the tummy. I like to call this Suka's Stretch and Slide Nose Dive:

First - and this is the most important step - find a lovely scent. Wild animal poop is usually the most commonly used, and the easiest to find.

Next, place head, neck, and shoulders flat on ground with behind up. Feel the stretch!

Now slide and twist the head, neck, and shoulders all around the scent. Keep that behind up!

Breath in deeply and hold the position.

Release breath. Relax.

Now remember, wild animal poop is the best, but a dead fish is also excellent if you can find one. There are many options of lovely scents out there, so explore and be creative! But please, don't ever use another dog's poop, because, well, that is just wrong. I'm just sayin'...