If you have him on a long line attached to a harness, you can drop it sometimes and he won't even notice. As long as you don't let him wander out of range you can always put your foot on the line and stop him. That is a bit more freedom than being on a short lead and he is learning that not coming back when called is not an option.

I think i need to be creative and find ways of entertaining and exercising him whilst on a lead - I don't do jogging or bicycling (I think that would stress him out too much/over excite him) but i can pretend to spot things in hedges etc, that always gets him going.

Last night I took him out on is extra long lead, I'd hid a toy in the bag which squeaks - he chased it when I threw it and then just kept running straight past didn't even bother to pick it up!

He's such a clever lad we went through a field of young cows, he clocked where they were and all the way over the bridge he kept looking down at the bank and i swear he was calculating how he could run down the side of the bank through the river and up the other side to get back into the field and low and behold that's exactly what he tried to do - obviously only got down the side of one bank as his lead wouldn't let him go further.

I truly have to be a dog-lover to keep this one - that's for sure.

You would be surprised. I have an extremely excitable dog but she is far better trotting alongside the bike than she is at walking pace. The pace of me on the bike matches her natural pace far more than me walking does.

Biking is great exercise for dog and owner. I find it knackering!