Neither one thing nor tether

Can you help sort out an argument between me and a friend, please? He says I should leave my dogs off the lead when picking-up and I say they should be on the lead. Who is right?

Frans says: The answer to that is, it depends. I like to have my dogs off the lead and that way they are ready to be sent out immediately for any pricked birds that they have marked. If they are on the lead it can be a job to get them off, especially if you have more than one dog. However, if your dogs are not 100% steady then it is prudent to keep them on the lead, just in case they decide to run in. If I have any young dogs with me then I would err on the side of caution and keep them on the lead to avoid any embarrassing situations. That said, I do think you should train and prepare your picking-up dogs to be steady enough to sit and watch a drive without a lead.