Mine are rarely on lead but when they are it's for a reason such as pavement walking and I rarely have just the one on lead but one or several I like them at my side. I don't like my dogs wandering about in front of me, I like them under control and showing just how well a Dobermann or three can conduct themselves in public. Although I must admit if it's just Frankie he gets more leeway as he resembles a ginger floor mop and everyone seems to think he's utterly adorable. I tell ya people can't judge anything from appearances but they do anyway

Ours dont exactly walk to heel. Paris tends to walk in front which we let her as she then doesnt pull... and Phil is an absolute darling on the lead. He walk on a loose lead by your side regardless of who has his lead. Slightest tension on his leads means he either stops or slows, to the point where when we first bought his flexi lead he wouldnt use it, we actually had to teach him to pull enough for him to use it!

They walk to one side, but not to heel and as long as they don't pull too hard, they can pretty much do as they please... they know I don't allow them to rush people/kids/dogs/animals.. If there is limited room when we pass people, I put them in a 'wait' position and then proceed after, usually people will coo and fuss them, which being tarts, they love!!

I tend to like Culotte to walk a bit in front on a loose lead, but when we are in town I like her to walk loosley to heal (so not stuck to my side) then if I see any problems I can tighten the heal. I have to say Culotte is the first dog I have ever had that has walked nicely to heal. I used to have muscles like a body builder with my old boy Ted

I usually prefer Jake to be walking beside me, or there abouts when we are pavement walking, but he can go wherever he likes when his is in onlead in the park or woods etc (which isnt often). Jakes lead walking is generally pretty bad though...

I know that feeling

I dont mind much so long as the lead is loose and im not getting tripped up
If I need them to heel then I will ask for it but if we are just having a potter around the block then I let them pick up their pee mail and check for cats under cars and stuff

As we are usually walking around a fairly busy suburb, I have Dex walking beside me, loose lead. I have no problem with him letting him stop to investigate plants and flowers etc or to relieve himself as many times as he wants - so long as he doesn't try to cross either in front of me or behind me to do so.

I do not let him pull me at all - when I first adopted him he would literally drag me down the road so fast my feet never touched the ground. But once our trainer taught me how to get him walking nicely, I did not let him do this any longer.

That said, because he still lunges violently at cats/horses/people carrying things I often walk him on the GenCon, and he does walk beautifully, loose lead all the way.

Parker and Cherry just walk along nicely on a loose lead and a harness one each side of me. I just have to be vigilant where Cherry is concerned as obviously she is blind one side after having her right eye removed so I don't walk to walk her into bins etc!

Because we have experienced a nutty lady who came and shouted at me for Parker weeing up her gate-post (wasn't him anyway-he was the other side of the pavement!) it's made me a bit wary and I don't really let him stop and pee much until he's off-lead on the heath. I sometimes think I have a "nutty-magnetic field" around me as where we used to live someone living nearby came and shouted at me because Badger was peeing up a lamp-post! This was quite a posh area too-there's no excaping strange people is there?!!

Really interesting to read different peoples views and the reasons why.
With Axel, he's generally on a 3ft or 6ft lead, and I don't mind him mooching and wandering in front as long as he's not pulling (which he doesn't). Basically, it's dicated by the length of the lead, he knows if I've gathered up the lead and it's really short, then he's to stay close and does. I then let it out a bit if I can after. This is usuallyif we're somewhere busy. Mostly though he gets some freedom and he can do what he likes as he doesn't take the mick.

i prefer my dogs to be walking to heel, doesn't always happen, and yes they are allowed to sniff (depending on where we are and where we are going) i do correct them if they try to get out in front (in certain situations, walking along main street which is busy) and i would love it if they didn't pull.

however in saying that both my dogs have a headcollar on (though in xeva's case its more to do with her barking than pulling and she also has a half check on aswell) and they are getting better

its a pet hate of mine when you see someone walking there dog on a collar, head collar, anti pull harness or in one case a choker and then they allow the dog to walk to the full extent of the lead and there arm stretched out in front aswell just hanging onto the lead especially in busy area's

fair enough if you are in a park or somewhere and allowing the dog to have a sniff but walking along the street like this, i often have to wonder, how are you going to control the dog if something happened