Pulling to meet another dog then acting scared? +Not coming back.

[Messerschmitt]

Crap, I just erased my entire post so now I have to re-write it.

Anyway, I've got two nearly 3 year old bordercollie/lab mixes.  They are very nice dogs and love attention.  I've been working with them for a couple weeks on walking on a loose leash, but when they catch sight of another dog they want to get to the, ASAP!  I wask them on my left side and usually they have to go through me to get to the otehr dogs.  They don't pull as much as when it's just people and soemtimes the better behaved one (Sasha) doesn't pull for people at all.
But what I don't get is why, if they want to get to the other dogs so badly, that they get scared and want to leave as soon as they are within sniffing range?  I always cross the street when I see other dogs to be kind to the owners and just in case their dog is agressive.  (Almost all of them are small enough to fly if Juneau ran into them though.)  Same thing if people are on my side of the road.

I don't know how many other dogs they met when they were groing up but I don't think it was enough.  I've noticed with our friend's Dachshund that Sasha gets along better with him that Juneau does.  Now let me give you a bit of background on this.
He has only been over twice that I know of, and both times he was just dumped in the house to roam as he pleased.  I was the only one against doing this because our dogs get frightened of others.  Plus it was their territory and they were forced out by this annoying sausage who wanted to play and they take refuge up on the playset in the back where he can't get to them.
So how do I help get them over their fear of being up close to other dogs?  I'd really like to be able to take them to a dog park or have them not get scared when other dogs get close. 

Plus Juneau doesn't come if she gets out the front door and across the street to where she once found a lizzard in a bush.  If she's still in the yard she will stop and come back, but across the street you have to call her more than five times or until she finally gets the message.  Sasha will come unless there is something really really really good over there. 
I could drop the leash (I don't do this) on walks with Sasha and she'd stay beside me with few or no corrections.  The only time I'd have to pick the leash up was if there was another dog or some people close by.
I wouldn't dare let go with Juneau in fear of having her plow into someone who didn't want some strange dog near them.  I don't like it when people's dogs run loose and run to me because I don't know the dog, and I woudln't want to have to be the embarrased owner of the loose dog.  As long as there isn't anything interesting around Juneau will come back. 
How do I get Juneau to come back when I call when soemthing of intrest is around?  She's excelent in the house and backyard even with lizzards running amok.  She's not really treat orientated but is more willing to please.  Sasha knows she'll get attention if she comes so she's not a problem whe it comes to that.

Sorry for the lost post, sometimes I just type a lot.

[chaa]

i prescribe two things: exercise and a job. 

border collies (and labs, to an extent) are working dogs.  they require high levels of mental stimulation and physical activity, and have immense trouble dealing with a lazy lifestyle.  it sounds to me like Juneau (beautiful name, by the way) is bored out of his skull.  Messerschmitt can't give him mental stimulation, so that there dog can!  or that lizard!  or that bush!

Any working dog will really benefit from some kind of job.  Joining obedience training (which would also improve leash manners for both dogs) is a good start, as border collies are very easy to work with and want to please.  my dog and i also did agility and competition obedience to take the edge off, and the former especially did the trick.  Depending on where you are there may be an agility club within an hour or so away.  agility clubs offer members lessons that engage the dog and help to exercise away a lot of the anxiety.  If you're not close to a club or don't want to get into the sport (it can be costly if you compete) you can always make up a job for your dogs.  Since I've moved (and my dog has started eating senior dog food  ) we stopped doing agility and obedience trials and started doing pest control and search and seizure.  that just means that he gets permission to chase ground squirrels and whatnot, and i make a trail in our back yard with a toy and it's his job to follow it and find his prize.  lol!
A great way to engage a dog is to take him to a very crowded public area and have him do some basic tricks.  that's quite difficult for a high-strung dog, because they simultaneously want to please you and do their job but also want to find out what the heck is going on around them.  taking dogs to a therapy center is also a great way to give them a job, although there's a lot of training that goes into that.

at the bare minimum, jog a mile a day with them.  if that doesn't make leaps and bounds towards bonding you I dont know what will!   

[Messerschmitt]

Thanks for the advice chaa, I'll give some of that a try.  The only problem is it's so hot here in AZ that doing stuff during the day is basically out until the cooler months.  And the girls are both black, and that doesn't help either.  I guess I could look into some place that may be indoors, or just get up uber early and hope it's not too hot by then ^^

[strangeduck]

How about putting backpacks on them for walks?  You can weight it down with something like sand...or water for your dogs on their walk.  I know that for my big dog, just having an empty pack on changes her demeanor on walks. 

I also second the obedience training thing.  If all else fails and you happen to have a Petco near you....they hold free seminars periodically and one of the topics is loose leash walking.  It helps to teach you how to keep your dogs under control even when other dogs are around, leashed or not,

Also....check and see if there is a local doggie "play date" or meet up anywhere near you.  Or if you have friends with dogs, make a doggie playdate with them.  This gives them something interesting to do and helps socialize them with other dog.

Training and socialization are the two most important things you can give your dogs outside of basic needs.  A well trained, socialized dog with a "job" to do is a happy dog.  Besides which, if your dog ever needs to be rehomed or is lost and ends up in a shelter, a trained and socialized dog has a much etter chance in a shelter.