Most of us love seeing dogs enjoying their freedom on footpaths and trails, and for the well-behaved, relaxed dog that stays close and ignores distractions, off-lead walking is a wonderful thing.
But if keeping your dog close and under control feels like a challenge - particularly around corners, junctions, on-lead dogs, livestock, elderly people, pushchairs, cyclists and small children - it might be worth considering whether off-lead is the right choice just yet...