I got my dog out of a rescue shelter 2.5 years ago and she gets so excited when she sees her pack, that I’m not sure I could leave her at home if I tried. I do walk her off leash and she likes to be up front, but she is so attached to me that she rarely goes far enough up to where I am out of sight. When off leash and I see hikers I call her back and hold her by the collar and on more than one occasion I have had other hikers thank me for it. On a heavily used trail I find it easier to keep her on a leash, though.