The stranger's insult came out of nowhere. There I was, standing on the sidewalk with my 4-year-old and our family dog [1], minding our own business, when a (rather portly) gentleman walked by, looked down at Bagel, and said, "Looks like someone had a long Winter."

Um, excuse me? I couldn't help but glance at the man's own ample midsection as he bent over to pet our sweet girl, who, admittedly, has put on a few pounds over the past several months. OK, she has neck rolls and you can't really see her ribs anymore, but so what? Our dog has a more ample waistline, kind of like everyone else during the Winter months!

As I glared at the pooch-shaming stranger, I wanted to say, "I'm not going to apologise for my dog being overweight [2]." Because it's freezing as (insert the bad word of your choice here) where we live, and I'll be damned if I'm going to parade up and down the street in a snowsuit just so Bagel can sniff every twig sticking out of the snow to find a place to pee. And it's not as if she's been dying to go outside and freeze her wet nose off, either. She'll look outside at the blizzard-like conditions and look back at me as if to say, "Really?"

I look back at her and assure her that once the sun comes out again, we'll take long and leisurely walks every day like we used to. She will trim down [3] and be ready for Summer in no time! As long as we also cut down on the table scraps, right, Bagel?

Look, our dog is loved and cared for. Maybe a little too much these days. It's hard to say no to those puppy-dog eyes begging for a noodle or a few pita chips. With the wintry weather, it's also far more desirable to stay inside and cuddle [4] instead of head out for our usual mile-long walk.

Bottom line: we always make sure she's happy and comfortable, and if that means putting on a few extra pounds sometimes, then so be it. Just like humans, dogs come in all shapes and sizes, and I would appreciate strangers not insulting my dog right to my face. Because while Bagel might not understand, I definitely do, and it's not cool.