Property boundaries

Question
QUESTION: We have two golden retriever puppies, about eight months old, a male and a female related by father.  When I cannot be outside with them during the day, they are tied in the garage on a 15-ft. line each with plenty of shade, water, food, and access to the grass and open air.  Today after a short period of being tied, I untied them for some exercise and walked with them to the pond behind our house where they like to swim.  I always have a leash with me.  After about 1/2 hour, I called them back toward the house.  They began to follow me but suddenly darted to the woods line at the side of our property, ignoring all of my calls to return.  The male is usually the one in the lead anytime they leave the yard.  They ran the length of the property (185 ft.) and down into the center of the road and began chasing a car.  They do this often -- run to the road or into the woods, even though I am right there with them when they are loose.  No matter how close I am and how desperately I try to call them back, they chase after everything -- the neighbors across the road at the mailbox, bicyclers, joggers, the dog next door...whatever catches their eyes.  We spend a great deal of time with them and love them very much.  Yet, I must be doing something wrong because they will not obey me.  My husband's voice seems to have more authority than mine; they just ignore me.  I want them to have exercise.  Even though we are in a very rural setting, the road is still a busy and dangerous place.  Will they outgrow this?  Will there be a time when they can be trusted to stay away from the road?  What should I do differently?  Please just be very straight-forward...I need the advice.

ANSWER: With the dog at the end of the leash, call its name and "Come" in a firm
voice. If it comes, praise it lavishly and pet it. If it doesn't come, repeat
the command and give the leash a light snap. Keep it up with firmer leash snaps
until the dog does come. Do not forget the praise.  Then switch to a longer
leash or rope, about 25'.  When it comes well on the longer leash, you should
be able to go to off leash in a fenced area, etc. Once the dog is doing well, introduce come, treat. This is for emergencies only when the dog has gotten loose accidentally. Use it routinely and you will have nothing to fall back on when your dog is headed for a busy street. "Name, come treat!" is little different from the regular "Name, come!", except the dog gets a great treat when it comes. We are talking a hot dog, cheese, etc. much better than any treat you use routinely.

Relying on come to control most dogs loose outside is risky, and I do not
recommend it.  Dogs are individuals.  Some can be trained to come when you have
no way to enforce it, but some will never be completely reliable even for the
most experienced trainers.

Consider fencing the yard, either a conventional fence or the electronic ones.
A tether is fine for short relief breaks with exercise coming from long walks
on leash or in controlled areas like a dog park.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I forgot to mention that part of their behavior has been caused by a delivery truck driver.  The UPS driver started giving the dogs treats every time he comes to the house.  Whenever they see the UPS truck (or any other delivery truck, for that matter) or they dart across the road toward the truck hoping for a treat.  They even jump up in the UPS truck.  I realize I have a lot of work to do, and I appreciate your input.  Of note, I don't intend to become a breeder and have made an appointment to have the male neutered, and then will spay the female.

Answer
I appreciate you taking the responsible step of spay/neutering your dogs.  I am upset by the constant stream of questions here from those that don't and sound like they are planning breeding and are far short of what it takes to produce quality puppies.  

I am sorry I am not much more help on controlling your dogs.  Most of what I have learned about dogs has through a program that forbids letting the dogs run loose.  Some people claim success training dogs to stay on the property, but I am afraid they may just have dogs less inclined to roam.  Some dogs are just much easier to manage than others.  I don't think we would have big problems with the Lab puppy we have now or the last 3, if we left them loose unattended in house.  Many of the ones we have had would wreck it.