That's right, monitor your game playing...eh, hem..weight loss, while you monitor your dog's as well. The new Wii Fit Plus allows for dog participation.

The spiffy new Plus version lets you create a Mii (animated avatar) with the likeness of your pet, dog or cat. You can even use the balance board technology to weigh your pet and monitor weight loss (or gain) right alongside you. The downfall however, is there are no games for your pet to actually play. I'm not sure that dog's would have the attention span for yoga or slalom skiing. And the whole holding-the-Wii-remote-without-opposable-thumbs thing might pose somewhat difficult. But who knows, maybe for the next version of the game, Wii Fit Plus Deluxe Plus, the masterminds at Nintendo will figure out how to exercise your dog in a 2' x 3' space.

A Nintendo spokesperson told the press that having your pet in your Wii world can be a motivation to many...think Pet Support system. And if you have an active dog, chances are you are out walking and exercising (outside of the Wii world, in the real world) and you can monitor your progress using the Wii.

Usually I'm try to figure out a way to keep my dog from interfering with my balance or keep him from looking at me funny as I imaginary hula hoop in my living room. Maybe though, if I get the new version, I will figure out a way to include my pup and get his large body onto the small balance board...after I dust it off of course (it turns out losing weight playing a video game is just too good to be true...for me).