If along a pavement I like Teg to walk by my side, not pulling, no sniffing or cocking leg unless we are only going for a lead walk. If on the park but not yet safe to let him off I let him in front but still no pulling. He does lots of sniffing and weeing when off lead.

If or when my lot are on their leads I liek them to walk nicely, not necessarily to heel unless I'm reinforcing ther heelwork during a training session (although I tend to do that off lead) on lead.

So long as they don't pull, I don't mind if they're a little in front, behind, next to me, peeing on trees, lampposts, fences, hedges etc of sniffing at stuff.

I'm of the ilk that a walk is predominantly for the dogs so if they get more enjoyment out of sniffing and plodding along a couple of steps in front of me I don't see the harm in it. I've been slated many times for allowing my dogs to be "dominant" because they might be in front of me. But my dogs are big and Zane paerticularly is very powerful. If he really wanted to dominate me on a walk, he could do!

But basically we have street/road walks where they have to be on lead anyway which is when they may be a few paces in front or behind. That's no problem. We have road walks where I might reinforce heelwork for a few minutes at a time and yes, in those walks I expect them to remain glued to my thigh and for the most part they do. Then we have walks in the park where they have to run about like loons and get rid of their "silly" energy before trying anything remotely sensible like training. So some of those walks are training based after about 15 minutes and some a just for running about, meeting new doggy friends and sniffing out new smells.

I like him by heel, loose lead and it's something I do go into repeated battles of wills when he gets too big for his boots on it. More than anything else it cuts down the drippy "arg dog bigger than a chiuauaha heeelllppp evil evil" crew if he's trotting along at heel quite happily. Don't do that much lead walking to be honest - on a bit of a crusade with it at the moment as he's started to slip. But then it's easier to start off stricter and relax than start off relaxed and have to rein something in is my logic behind it.

On the other hand - hubby takes him for a walk, sticks the lead over his wrist and rams his hands in his pockets and lets him charge along ahead - drives me NUTS!

As for peeing - we've got a man near who yells at EVERY dog if they so much as wave a leg at HIS lampost - so not worth even opening that can of worms. I have offered the guy in question a fresh sample of scooped poo so he can compare and conclude I'm not to blame for every dog turd in a 10 mile radius - for some reason he didn't take me up on that.

On the way to the 'green' I let him walk in front (tight leash but not pulling) let him collect & reply to his pee-mail (unless he sniffs & licks at it too long, in which case I say "Deside!"(sp?) give him a moment & if he hasn't peed I say "too late" & gently drag him away. Though he usully pees on hearing 'deside' . At the green I let him off lead & he can do what he wants. On the way back we go round the block & I have him walk nicly by my side.

At work when I take him round the car park to stretch his legs, I have him walk by my side on a short leash 'cos of the cars & also to give a good impresion. but when we get to the bits of grass I let him use the lengh of the lead, have a good sniff & pee on any post/parking sign.
If a car needs to park or move off I give Muppet the finger (not that finger , I sort of point upwards, with the pointy finger) & Muppet will sit while we wait for the car to finish what it's doing, then we just walk on.