A new year means a new me... 2015 isn’t the Chinese year of the dog but to all my friends it is.

It is time for me to lose weight, go on more walkies and be even more a lady of leisure than ever.

With my human person, Matt, vowing to walk me more often ? a pledge which really takes the dog biscuit ? I was ready to have my hopes dashed.

But this week he has lived up to his word and we’ve been on a couple of countryside excursions.

Over Christmas I have rather ballooned, though ? it was all those tasty mince pies made with real mince!

And this did make Frank the labrador from Leiston envious when I told him.

Corgi-cross-German shepherd, Amber, wrote in to say she was pleased one of the must-have toys this Christmas was a cuddly toy of one of Her Majesty the Queen’s corgis.

This sounds a better present than the Christmas Santa’s hat Matt bought me last week.

Amber says her new year’s resolution is also to get a bit trimmer ? for this she’s taken up doga.

Now, I don’t want any funny jokes being made, because it is a type of yoga, but for dogs.

Apparently it includes long stretches, deep breathing and cuddles. But as Amber says, us canines already possess the power to touch our ears with our feet, which is more than most humans can do.

n If you’re a dog and have any new year’s resolutions, write in to matt.hunter@archant.co.uk