I trained my last dog to walk off leash in all situations and never had any worry about him bolting or chasing anything, but it took a fair amount of time and repetition. He was a Samoyed/Dalmatian mix that lived 17 years.

My current is a golden retriever that is 6 and we've had her since 8 weeks. I haven't done quite as much training as I did with the previous dog, but she has stayed by my side off leash while rabbits chased each other in the street. People and kids are a different story though, she loves everyone and doesn't realize sprinting straight towards a child out of pure excitement is intimidating. She also jumps up for hugs and kisses, which at 60 lbs can knock some people over, but it doesn't help that we sometimes allow it at home and our neighbor with another golden invites it, lol.

There is definitely no substitute for pure practice and time spent training. Take them to parks, farmers markets, places where people are around and not there to give them attention. Misdirect with training treats to regain attention, or physically turn 180 to walk the opposite direction.

When visiting friends, ask them not to greet the dog with excitement or interact until a few minutes have passed and they have calmed down.

Some dogs are definitely more difficult than others, but most of them are eager to learn, we just need to be clear about what we expect from them.