I had a labrador and his middle name was eat!! Like most domesticated dogs, they live a very wonderful life. No chasing food to eat, warm places to sleep, and in many cases little to no activity to burn off the calories. In fact since my dog passed away and I don't do the morning walks anymore, I have put on some pounds.

My vet actually had him down to two cups of food a day, and then lots of walking. He slimmed down, but was ready to nibble on anything he could. So I know what your facing. The big thing is tell people no more treats, cookies, bread, etc.. I had a terrible time with my family making them understand that feeding the dog constantly was only doing him harm.

I never thought about chaining him to a tire to drag around. He'd never been chained in his life. Good luck getting the weight off your dog. While he is not going to appreciate it, he will be better in the over all.