Well, Libi is now almost 20 weeks and I've been reminded about the Flatcoat tendency to counter surf - this is what is left of a bunch of cavolo Nero kale I'd put out to chop. At least she likes her veggies 😆.
I'd become complacent because my golden doesn't do it, never has, but most of my flatties have - but I've been Flatcoat less for 8yrs. Back to hyper vigilance!
As for the whole "working dogs can't walk on a lead" - what total rubbish. My golden is working bred (her sister is a field trial champion) and at one point I was doing an advanced obedience class with her. Both of Libis parents have their working gundog qualifications but both are also shown, which of course involves loose on-lead walking.
The issue with working bred dogs is that the smarter they are the more likely they are to find more interesting things to do than what we want them to do - if what we want them to do isn't interesting enough - walking nicely on lead can be a pretty boring thing we ask them to do- the rewards have to be really worth it.
Libi is a total star in training class with lead walking, high value treats, she knows what is expected of her and performs well. In the REAL world she's just desperate to get there and be let off the lead on the field and have a sniff around! She is still at the age where she sticks close to me, so I reward THAT, and get her walking close off lead. This reinforces the "close" or "heel" command (whichever you use). My (very good) trainer says it's pointless trying to teach walking to heel when you are taking your pup to somewhere interesting like the park - they are just so keen to get there that they can't think of anything else. Only train when they are receptive to learning - short windows of opportunity need to be grabbed.
I did have one rescue FC that I got at 13 months - a real puller, lovely boy but a nightmare on lead, had never had any training. TBH it wasn't a big deal, I never walked him in the streets, so I gave up trying,we would get in the car and head for the forest or the beach, his recall was excellent. We did obedience classes when he was much older and calmer, but more for fun really as I still didn't start walking the streets with him.
With my first three dogs I did have to walk to a park, while pushing a pram or pushchair, so do empathise, but I would suggest lead walk training is always very separate from going on an actual walk. Make the surroundings boring (in the house or garden?) so that training with you, and the special treats you have (I use cheese) are much more interesting than anything else.