Dogs fight

Question
Our dog Lexi is a 16 months old female dog. She is Bichone Fraise x Pug.We have her for about 1 year. As she is very friendly and loves playing with other dogs we thought it will be a good idea to buy her a friend.... We now have Bobi who is the same cross breed. He is 4.5 months old mail. Lexi licks Bobi a lot mainly his ears, is that ok? The other thing is that the two of them play-fight a lot. I just wonder if it is ever going to stop?  Should I do anything to stop them or just let them go on until they stop? Also when walking them Lexi is pulling all the time (she always did that and I thought it was 'normal' how can I stop her?
Thanks

Answer
Hi there,

Your dog Bobi is still a puppy, and Lexi is still young enough to be very active in her play. Most dogs settle down by the time they're 2-3 years old, so you've got a ways to go before the play fighting slows or stops.
It's really okay for your dogs to to this. When you've had enough though, it's perfectly acceptable to make them stop. You can do this a couple of different ways, such as distracting them into a different activity, such as chewing on separate dog toys. Or, you can also divert them by giving a "pop quiz" of obedience commands. It is good to be able to redirect your dogs attention to you, and away from another dog. Praise them when they both have been diverted from the play fighting and doing the new activity, they need to know that NOT play fighting gives them your approval.

It's okay for Lexi to lick Bobi. Licking is a behavior that serves as a social function that strengthens the bond between two puppies, that can continue into adulthood. It can be a sign of submission, and it can also be a sign of affection and friendliness. Just as with the play fighting, if you think "enough is enough", it's okay to distract Lexi into another behavior.

Pulling is a problem that you can get control over, but it may take time because it's become Lexi's habit. Enrolling in a dog obedience class would be the best way to gain control over the problem, as you will be shown what you've been doing wrong, in trying to break Lexi of the habit. You can also read how to stop Lexi from pulling here:

http://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/a/loose_leash_training.htm

http://www.perfectpaws.com/leash.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvSVEuTRfaY

You might want to try using a head collar, or head harness on Lexi. It's a harness that's worn on the dog's head, much like a horse's halter. Your dog would have to get used to wearing this new style collar, but once she does, it's a very effective way of controlling pulling. You can see a demo of a head harness in use, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpE76_2EnfI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6XMb2XRVVs


I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti