does anyone in here walk their dogs off leash? do you ever let ur dog off leash in the streets, not only in the park?

i do not have my own dog, but i have been walking friends' dogs off leash for a couple years now, around local quiet neighborhoods. some dogs are more responsible and obedient, others go crazy for squirrels or other dogs, but i try to limit leash time as much as possible with every dog.

it saddens me to see that people are uniformly restraining their dogs, even inside the parks. i recall thinking, while walking an old dog, that it's sad to have spend the entire life on leash... so i let her off. people often act nervous or slightly frightened when a the big doodle runs up to them (see photo, in the background)... however, i don't look threatening, and doodle doesn't bark, so the situation quickly becomes fun.

the puppy in the photo is 3 months old. before the owner went on vacation, he believed that it is not ready to be off leash. i did not find that acceptable, and trialed a leash-less walk with treats. the big dog is already well-trained to come when called, so the puppy picked up that skill fast. in fact, it prefers to walk near me or in between the big dog and me.