Im another one...my dogs have all been off lead since day one.
However i would never let my pup run up to strange dogs..they have all stuck to me like glue.

This is quite an interesting subject to me as Stan is now 16 weeks and I have to admit that we haven't let him off yet due to working on recall and it being so so and that fact that he tries to run to everyone and everything when ON lead. Is it best just to bite the bullet?? Am I being an over protective mum??? lol

Totally agree! I avoid one of my local walking areas now because every 2 minutes I had to put mine back on lead/change routes constantly because of people with aggressive dogs. One particular one had savaged two local dogs yet was still walked at a peak dog walking time, un muzzled, with off-lead dogs around every corner.

I've been thinking....I need to let him off don't I??? Ok, I'm going to give it a go later.

i agree with all of the above.

why should friendly dogs get slated for being off lead(particually puppies) BUT agressive dog owners are always the ones who need to rant when this happens. muzzels are there for a reason.

i have the opposite problem, my dogs are friendly,but i get the idiot owners who think their agressive dogs should be off lead and i'm at fault. Get real!

to say it makes me mad is an understatement!

Bite the bullet. You'll be making a rod for your own back if you don't. Try your local park or something early in the morning with lots of socialable dogs and give it a go. Bring lots of smelly treats/his favourite toy and I bet you'll be fine.

We don't really have a park in the village...would the beach be ok or is that too big??

i let ruby off from day one too, to start with i never took her out on my own i always went with some one usually my mum and we went at quiet times when there wasnt many people about and we would stand apart and call ruby to us and play with her, we never had a problem with her going upto other dogs if she saw one she would lie down and wait for them to come to her and she would come back when called,
however for now she is back on a lead as she has decided to forget all her training from sitting to she wont come back if she see someone so i get her back on her lead before she sees them, and i am going back to basics with her

Stanfan - try a tennis court or something, so he can't disappear. It will give you chance to properly test his recall. Even better if you know other people with dogs he can play with in there.

The beach is fine I should think, plus you can see if there's anyone on the horizon so you can judge whether there will be too many distractions for him. Take a pocket full of cheese!