He is a Havanese blend, small 20 pound dog. I have fed him cooked (boiled) white meat (breast) for his entire life. Mixed with his kibble, blended with some steamed mixed veggies all properly measured. He has maintained his 20 pound weight throughout his life. He is prone to pancreas problems that popped up in mid-life…went to a 4 little meals daily that keeps the pancreas doing what it should.
Chicken is getting pricey so about a year ago I switched him to boiled tilapia filets, with chicken occasionally…he loves it, vet agrees.

Roscoe is an off-leash trail rated dog. We used to hike 3 to 5 miles daily till my health problems, we have slowed a little bit.

Just like humans…portion control.
Overfeeding either the main meals or giving out ‘treats’ for any positive action is a big cause of animal obesity.
Food is not necessary to praise an animal for good behavior.

He is 11 years old. About 2 years ago, he weighed 93 lbs and had developed liver problems. Vet wanted us to put him on a special blend that we couldn't afford to use exclusively, so I found a recipe using skinless chicken thighs, lentils, barley, rice, and approved vegetables. I also add turmeric for his arthritis. Today, he weighs 78 lbs and his blood work is excellent. It's 100% portion control. My husband tells our friends that Roscoe eats better than we do, lol.

..hubby has done the same thing to our golden..shes already had 10G worth of knee surgery, shes 8 and 20% over wight. It breaks my heart.

Chicken isn't causing weight gain.