This, I think, is a good idea.

thanks again.

I totally understand what you are saying about running at the wrong dog because if approachnig my staffie x like that he would react badly. he does not like this one bit, but im trying to help her out with any help I can get. so I am grateful for the advice.

He has approached the staffie like this and staffie growled and lunged at him! fortunately, Coles was on a lead

This is what I do with my boys if theres a dog on a lead that they dont know I call them over and sometimes I put them on lead, but mine dont run over to other dogs unless I let them (only dogs they know).

I think your right about the longer he does it the harder to break.

thanks for the advice.

well if his recall is good the dogs owner NEEDS to be faster to call him back and be more alert then what I said earlier (IMHO) OR if they cant do that, dont let him off.

If it helps at all, tell your friend about my brother's Labrador, Lucky. A friendlier dog you could not wish to meet. Total softie.

Then in the park recently he went trotting over to another dog just to say hi - the other dog went beserk and mauled Lucky to the point where the vet said he was lucky to survive it. It took three grown men to haul the other dog off.

I'm sure your friend loves her dog very much but unwittingly, at present, she IS putting him at risk. He should not be off leash until she can be sure that either she can recall him immediately OR that he will approach other dogs calmly.

as you are walking with your friend when this happens, can you say why she doesnt notice early enough?

(maybe therein lays your answer?)

I tried to say politely last night that the problem is that she is distracted by me and my boys and she needs to see the dog on the lead or off lead (that she does not know) and call the dog back before he catches sight of it.

she has said she was looking for other training methods, which is why im asking for further advice. very true the clue is in the question!

You do not need any other training method (not sure what is meant by this)?

If you have an ace recall and an ace stop, nothing more is needed, your dog is under total control.

Simples

she said what might work for me (i.e. as i said below with my dogs)might not work for her dog. I think she just wants to try different ways to train him with regards to other dogs on leads.

What about clicker training as a way of marking positive meetings with other dogs. This way the dog learns what is expected of him when meeting new dogs on leads, and has something positive to work towards. He will learn to understand that (at first) looking at a dog on lead without a response = a click and reward. This can then be built up.

I just read the book 'click to calm' which I think your friend would find very useful! It explains this process in much more detail.

Have to agree with other posters that the dog should be on a line if around other dogs that she is not quick enough recalling him on. I understand he has never done anything but could end up being attacked by another dog. A lot of dogs (not all) are often on leads for DA themselves so are especially bad targets to antagonise!