).Well I can report back that those two boys (Pan, 3 yrs, Chewy 2 years, both male long haired chihuahuas, both neutered at around 6 months
) are a NIGHTMARE 
. If they were big dogs their owners would be in lots of trouble with them I think but because they're little it all seems okish to them I think. After spending a few hours with them I feel that both dogs need some proper training and in particular steady socialisation but whilst I have some ideas how to raise it with my friend without causing offence I don't know whether it's a good idea to. I'm sure many of you will have been in this situation. I will not be introducing Ted to the boys again based upon what I saw but I feel it's a shame for them not to have some help from their mom and dad to sort out their issues. And I think that if their owners understood what was going on they would want to help. Anyway, let me tell you what they were like, this is my reading of it based upon what I've learnt from here, I'd also be interested in your views on how I have interpreted their behaviour to see how I did Pan has no idea how to act around another dog. Given any opportunity he humped Ted, from behind, into his face etc etc. He also kept trying to sit on Ted and also to put his paws in his face. As far as I could tell Ted started off submitting to him and then rapidly because distressed (ears back, licking his lips etc). Their owners put it down to Pan being the "alpha" and telling Ted who was boss but to me Pan was stressed, had no idea how to interact and was plain rude. I intervened and after some repositioning of Pan and rewarding him for calm behaviour he could sniff Ted for a nano second before proceeding to try to hump him again. After this I made sure they were kept apart. I have no idea how Chewy would have been with Ted as Pan pushes Chewy out of the way/snaps at him (we'll come on to that) so I didn't really see them interact. I think their Dad is half way to realising that Pan has a problem as he said "that dog has issues, we keep talking about getting a dog whisperer
in to him. I did say that I thought that Pan was rude and that they were in danger of him doing that to the wrong dog and that I didn't want Ted to pick up his bad habits (a bit of an excuse for keeping them apart) but I was aware that I'm the newbie owner and I didn't want to say too much incase they stopped listening, so I thought best to gather my thoughts. Apparently when they bought Chewy home Pan humped him for pretty much 3 days solid (why they let this happen is completely beyond me).The boys fight, they can be trotting around or running together and out of no where there will be snarling and they'll roll around for a few seconds, separate and then go on as if nothing has happened. To me this did not look like dogs playing nicely together as I've seen Ted playing chase, and he play bows, runs, skips around and barks etc but I haven't seen dogs who know each other well play together so I don't know if this was normal, what I do know is if they had been big dogs it would have been very scary and there was no way I was letting Ted anywhere near them doing that (he seemed to want to keep away from them anyway). Very interested as to what you make of this?
Next up they have no obedience, I always have liver treats with me
and I have not yet met a dog that didn't go into a perfect sit and gaze at me to get the treat without even being asked. These two had NO idea, their owners said don't treat them unless they sit but they couldn't get them to. They beg, jump up etc the best I got from them was hold the treat in the right position for them to be sitting to eat it and then they still hover off the ground and try to nibble it out of your fingers. Holding onto it bizarrely did not make them back off, I gave up after a while as I couldn't be doing with the nibbling, they aren't my dogs to train and it was like the lights were on but no one was home 
which although I laugh isn't funny really.Needless to say they don't loose leash walk (they're on the same flexi with a split).
Their owners said that they only let them off the lead if in a reasonably enclosed space (we were) and there are no other dogs or people around. That to me didn't sound like dogs with recall and I would have thought would be a step in a recall training programme rather than a solution to letting your dogs off lead. As soon as they are let off they go crazy and don't seem to come back when called or even check in with their owners. At one point a family appeared and their owners picked them up (Ted's snuffling on his long line minding his own business/coming for liver from me at this point), I wondered why until a straggling child tried to roller blade up the path (a good 20 or so meters away). They both went crazy, running over, barking (which scared the child and he fell over) and having to be fetched back by their owners. Thankfully Ted was still minding his own business with me at this point. Had they been large dogs I think this would have looked horrific, as it was it didn't look good at all. I didn't see them with any other dogs so I don't know what would have happened.
Whilst I don't want Ted so meet up with them again (and they are moving to LA in 12 months so it's easily avoidable) I feel sorry for the dogs. Pan clearly has issues (Chewy I'm not so sure) and they seem to really need some basic training.
I was going to say I'd chatted to a dog trainer about them and explain that the humping is probably fear based (along with the barking at children) and hope that Pan's discomfort prompts her into action but I really don't know hence wanting to talk on here about it. I do also worry that their fights will escalate and something bad will happen
. I get the impression that Pan wasn't socialised properly as she says she over protected him then went to the other extreme with Chewy but I don't know to what extent she did this, I know she picked Pan up whenever she thought he was scared.Am interested to hear your views, sorry for the loooong post.
And I am so proud of Ted as he was so much better behaved and intelligent than those two rascals! I almost feel like I'd like to take those two one at a time and give them some basic training and mind work as I'm sure it would make a difference (I'm not going to though!)
but instead affirmation that their dog is fine). Their mouths fall open and out tumble all the excuses.
