thanks again everyone for your replies! in answer to your question cockermum.....sam does enjoy his walks and comes home panting like mad! i dont just let him run and run though, we have a few 'settle' moments where i sit in the grass (weather permitting) with them and just chill for a few mins. maybe do some sit/down stays etc. just to get his attention and focus back (and for me to catch my breath!!).

Ollie is only ever off lead if walking with our other doggy Friends,but have to constantly watch for dogs we don't know and check if it safe for him to meet,he is on a long line when not off lead and gets to sniff and run and he too comes home tired,happy and in one piece which is the main thing.

Sounds like the perfect walk i sometimes take just one of mine out and have mummy time with them. having a sit down in the sunshine and chillin..... watching the world go by

i do that with my 2 sometimes, esp now my older dog is 10 she cannot keep up with sam! its nice to have some one on one time with each of them isn't it?

Hector sounds like your dog, LOL!!!

He's now 3 and i still have to have eyes everywhere when he's off lead.

Bonnie will always come back when called, she's not as confident as Hector.

keep up with the training.

All of my dogs (bar one who wasn't born with any brains whatsoever) I can allow off the lead and be really confident they will come back when called, however in light of Bull Breeds getting a bad rap with the press sadly I don't allow them off the lead anymore mainly because of other peoples reactions reactions to them. I really don't like to be seen as irresponsible where the welfare and safety of my dogs are concerned.

i think you are being responsible. I only let harvey off the lead if we are somewhere safe and enclosed because he will chase anything, so he is mostly on the lead or a long line. I actually let him off the lead yesterday and he was wandering about sniffing everything and i start to panic that he's going too far so i walked away in the opposite direction and he did run after me and follow, he done this twice so it can work but im not 100% with it just waiting for when i walk away and he goes further in the other direction then there'll be panic.

I think you are doing the right thing! If you can't trust your dog to come back it could be dangerous to let it off lead. You are being responsible keeping your dog onlead

Milo never goes off lead on walks as he just dissapears into the sunset on the trail of something or other. As he is only small he has the longer type flexi lead and even on that won't come when called he has to be reeled in LOL. He doesn't seem to mind its how he knows his walks and doesn't think anything of it.
Shady I take to a place where I can let her off to play frisbee. She has a very good recall but is fear aggresive with other dogs when she is on lead and would run for her life if off lead and one come running toward her. So I take her where I can spot a dog coming a little way off and call her back before the other dog can reach her.
If another dog is on lead I can leave her off as she will usually ignore it or come back when I call her if she does go to see it. Also if they are on lead she will happily say hello nicely knowing she can get away without them persuing her.
The only thing she can go deaf with is rabbits or squirrels if she spots one, so I have to be very vigilant or not let her off where I know they are.

hello
no you have the right idea ,are dylan was a nightmare off the lead to come back as a puppy up till 1 year ,we put him on a long line let him run free ,so we could jump on the end of it it did work we only call him once now and he comes straight away . have you got any where inclosed which is all way usefull ,dylan has been castrated though lol