Ditto, good points Navy Vet. Let me add my two cents from a breeders standpoint. Not intended for you, just the board in general.
All dogs are natural gluttons. They will eat until they puke. It goes back to when they were wolves. They did not know when their next meal was coming. Eat as much as you can right now. Survival of the fittest.
They main problem is most of the dog food is crap. It is full of carbs(grains)not protein(meat). Read the label. If the first ingrediants are corn or rice, do not buy it. The more expensive food you do not need to give them as much.
Buy your food at the pet food store, or Tractor Supply not Walmart or the grocery store.
Secondly, most people over feed their pets. If your pet is too fat, cut back on the amount of food you are feeding them. If we want to take weight off a dog for showing, we supplement with green beans. That also means they excrete less. Less to pick up later.
Lastly, pets need exercise. Just like us overweight Americans. Take your dog for a walk. It is good for both of you.
My Abby-girl makes me so happy as a lap dog. Her best times (mine too) is when she is curled up on my lap and licking my fingers. Some would say she is obsessive about that, but it makes her happy - so why should I care? She licks until she goes to sleep again on my lap, and then wakes and wants to attack my foot or chase her toys in the room - it is beyond cute watching this tiny thing trying to be ferocious...:)
Never thought I would care so much for such a tiny little thing (4lbs). I've always had larger dogs like German Shepards, Irish Setter (clumsy and stupid, but big heart), and at least Cocker's for pets. This one just steals my heart every time she comes up on the couch and nestles in.
And yes, when she's outside to get her "sunshine on", I always make sure she is protected from the hawks and coyotes we see on occasion. The slider is open only enough for her to fit through and we have a dog fence that keeps her enclosed.
Sorry to rant on about my little girl. What do you breed?