@Aidan in HCMC
We only walk them on a leash and that two, both of us walking the two Pugs together.
We are super careful but now you have me extremely worried. I am in Saigon and will be staying more in a dense expat community. I am not sure these guys would be able to make it home, they are still so disorientated and honestly see no harm in anyone. They are so friendly that I worry even when someone wants to come and pat them as I think someone will steal them. Please tell me I am wrong otherwise I am going to spend my years glued to them quite literally.
    -@Shabana Cooke
Sorry about that. As I mentioned earlier, it's not my or anyone's intent to cause you alarm. We want only to caution you. As stated by OceanBeach92107, vigilance is key.
I'm a confirmed dog lover. I "own" three, but I care for six. The other three are (supposedly) the neighbour's dogs but they now bark and growl at him until I call them to heel. I feel sort of embarrassed for the neighbour, but I'm not sure he's even phased in the slightest about his dogs jumping ship, as it were.
I'll offer a couple of tips, if I may.
Buy a leash and collar which are not easily cut (chain leash, rawhide collar).
Never walk your dogs on the curb-side of the sidewalk, always walk them with you between them and the road. "Snatching" of purses, cameras, phones, pets etc by motorbike perps is a real thing here. A real, real thing. The word rife comes to mind.
Never leash your pets to a post/tree/pole if it is more that ~2 meters from you. Like I mentioned, dogs such as your Pugs would command a handsome price here, and would certainly present as tempting targets, especially so if the owner (you) is not obviously present.
I really wouldn't be too concerned about people coming over to pat them. In fact, I wouldn't be too worried about that at all. Every instance of theft I've heard of, and experienced, has been one of opportunity. Local people here do not take kindly to dognappers, often meting out (warning: graphic VN Express video), so a quick grab-run is necessarily part of a dog-thief's M.O.
I hate to use an analogy comparing an inanimate object with that of your pets, but I wouldn't put my dog in a position where I wouldn't put my Rolex (any of my dogs, to me, are worth more than any trinket).
Be aware of your surroundings, and the fact that you are walking with what would amount to an average citizen's month of pay.