WASHINGTON – Obie is not your typical wiener dog.

KPTV in Oregon reports the 5-year-old dachshund now living in Portland tipped the scales at 77 pounds a month ago before being taken in by foster mom Nora Vanatta, who volunteered to care for Obie after hearing about him on a Facebook page. An older couple reportedly struggling with health issues previously owned and loved Obie – who KPTV says is considered to be the world’s fattest dachshund – and Vanatta thinks the pair fed him mostly “people food.”

Now on a strict diet, Obie’s weight-loss goal is to get down to 40 pounds, and he’s already dropped 10. Those that want to root him on can follow his progress on Facebook.

Watch the video below for more (h/t CNN).

Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)