How do you train your dogs not to run off!!!

I admire your persistance, but...

Why would you spend all that time chucking rocks at your dog, when you could install a 9-volt and slap on a zap collar and problem solved...??

Redneck Pete--Simple really........I'm broke, and if I had the $300 bucks plus to outfit all seven dogs with shock collars, why then I'd be 1/3 of the way saved up for my new john deere lol I did get 1 collar for the dogs for Xmas 2 years ago, (from my mom) unfortunately the big one wore it one day and lost on our hike on the flood plain never to be seen again--and that was a $60 collar!

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You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him float on his back.

I think its the breed. ive had a lot of dogs, the only two who would follow me and stick close were a german shepard and a sheltie collie.
I have a mixed breed lab/dal;mation/somehting and I ruined her as a puppy, shes house sour and will follow for a short time and bolt back home. I picked up a rat terrier who was always tied outside in town and never allowed to run and he will bolt and run till he is exausted from one nieghbor to another sniffing around seeing the sights.
Ive had shelter mutts over the years youg and old who already were followers but those would too set out on backwod tours for a whole day.

the best follower was the sheltie, she listened very well and I would take her riding for miles, she would never stray more that a few yards from the horse I never had to worry where she was.
my old shepard was a gaurd who marched the property line all day, her yard was her turf, I didnt train it in her or the sheltie.
some breeds follow, some lead some explore. my rat terrier is 10 lbs tiny but acts 100 lbs large, his nose leads him where the interesting stuff is.
we have a beagle, who is timid and will stic to you like glue till a bunny or something is spied then timid OFF and zooooooom off she goes. short beagles a funny they run a rabbit over like a demolitioin derby car and circle and do it again, she doesnt bite or try to catch em... just wants to run them over.
she like the terrier go deaf when the sport calls.

One neighbor has 3 dogs. If she ties or kennels two, the third will stay in the yard. If two or more are loose, they take off. She rotates who is kenneled so all have a "free" day. Works for her. Another neighbor had a headstrong dog who followed them down the road to a friend's house. Whose GP was relaxing in the yard with his people. Mr. Headstrong never ventured down the road again. after that monster took off after him. When we lived in town, we had a newly acquired female rescue who went into heat before she visited the vet. A darling little dog showed up and howled for her all night. Animal Control came and got him and called his people, who paid the fine and took him home. He was back again that night. We were not poplular with our neighbors. Animal Control got him again, and said the little guy lived a couple miles away and had to cross two busy streets to get to us, and gave us the people's name. He dug out again, and went straight to the vet when his Mommy came and got him. Neutured dogs do not roam as much as unneutered dogs.