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Thank you all for your replies.
I take her to the beach every afternoon, where she can run free at this time of the year, and today I decided (with my heart in my mouth) to let her go up the steps to the park. To be truthful, the sand was so hard to walk through that I couldn't get to her in time to put her lead back on. She just trotted along the park sniffing, with one eye out for potential playmates. She found a lovely GS who had a ball, went into a crouch and then a creep and then a play - 'love at first sight'. This is the first time I have let her walk in the park without a lead, although it's quite secure. Her recall is not great yet, but I find if I turn my back on her, she will usually come back to me (guess who has been watching the Dog Whisperer?)