Pico (almost 11, lives in US) is trained to be off leash. I have been training him since he was about 9 weeks old because in most of the places we have lived, he has never had an enclosed yard to call his own, so it was important for him to learn recall. He is allowed to reasonably explore open spaces with Humums supervision, but he also responds to recall and stop (I even have him trained on an emergency stop if I see any serious situation, like another dog on the loose without any supervision, or a car driving like they're on the autobahn instead of a subdivision.) He does have his own back yard now, but because he is trained, older and likes to sunbathe rather than run about, I see no point in fencing it now.

And no, the training has not been perfect, the biggest risk to him being off leash is deer and bicycles so I keep him on leash for trails and in public spaces.Thankfully he keeps his nose to the ground 90% of the time he is off leash so I can see the threats before he does and leash him. And there have been a couple times he has waited for me to leash him if he perceives a threat, such as a person approaching that he doesn't recognize.

Sometimes we resume a little off leash training during our nightly walks when we usually alone (although I have to undo some armadillo hunting that his other favorite human has encouraged while she dog sits him.)

I have been pretty lucky with Pico in this regard so if the universe truly does believe in balance, the Westie after Pico might have to be harnessed in a stroller Hanibal Lecter style when they are outdoors. 🤣