80-pound dog named Strudel down to 54 pounds after rigorous weight loss journey

— -- Strudel the dog once weighed a whopping 80 pounds, but now she’s working on her summer body.

The 7-year-old rescue pup was surrendered after her owner died, and now lives with a loving foster family, Kristen and Wynn Horton in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The golden retriever mix is down to 54 pounds after working out at Zoom Room, a dog training facility in Virginia Beach, since June.

“When she came in we did everything nice and slow in 30-minute sessions,” John Cotthaus, owner of Zoom Room, told ABC News. “Halfway through she was completely puttered out, which we expected."

But Cotthaus could tell Strudel was different than most of his canine clients.

“Normally it’s like leading a horse to a carrot,” he said of coaxing other dogs to do their workout routines. “She didn’t need any of that. You pointed her in the direction, and you saw the twinkle and sparkle in her eye that she really enjoys it. It’s really cool to watch her transformation.”

They’re slowly but surely getting Strudel back in shape and getting “her beach body going,” Cotthaus said with a laugh.

Strudel has been enjoying her exercise and diet plan and seems to be thrilled to have the nearly 30 pounds off her.

“She definitely has gained a lot more energy,” said Strudel’s foster dad, Wynn Horton. “There’s a lot more pep in her step. It was a complete behavioral shift. She went from being very sluggish and slow to respond to all of a sudden coming alive. She loves walking and running around. It’s like a whole new dog.”