We do road walks in the dark. If it's not too windy we go up to the prom because Rogue and Keiko can go offlead there. The Estrelas never go offlead after dark as their guarding instincts are much stronger then. In the winter I do a main walk in the morning and a road walk in the evening, whereas it's the other way around in the summer. It's easier to exercise the hairy ones in the winter because it's too hot to do a proper walk in the summer a lot of the time.

At the moment the Estrelas won't go out in the evening because there are still occassional fireworks going off and they are scared of them.

Thanks everyone, theres me thinking that crispy grass and a reflective Hurrta...well not if they switch the lighting off it doesnt work...and the football training has been done on the grass so now a slippy mud bath! (I'm a celeb...get me outta here! here we come )

Anyhoo, so far from the replies I am wondering if its worth investing in the glow in the dark Orbee ball on a rope (not sure if it will glow through mud though )

Amanda, do you know if there is much difference between the Linkables and the Kong Genius toys? Might need to buy Casino before xmas too

I am going to order a Visiglo collar too.

Smokeybear, here's a question for you. When it comes to speak he seemed at first to only associate it with where it was taught etc, so we worked on that and now he will do it in all different places but so far in the dark, he will only speak in the garden (not the park etc) Is this something I just need to spend quite a bit of time on working on (like how I initially taught it but in dark this time) or is there something I'm missing here?

Thats funny, its something I have noticed in Loui too, he has always been more protective in the dark, even since he was tiny. I still let him off in some places though as he will be well behaved if I am playing with him, he wont go looking for trouble at all. He just looks out for me a lot more. If you know what I mean?

Yes the dark is another variable, I teach my dogs to speak in the down, sit, stand, walking beside me, out of sight, on a raised surface, in a car, in a horsebox, in a shed, etc etc all of them need to be treated as "different"

The concept is similar but the holes are different. The linkables have small holes, so the treats need to be small enough to fall out. The Kong Genius have an X shapes slit which means you can put larger treats inside then as the dog chews it, the holes open up and it falls out. I haven't personally used the linkables but I suspect the Genius toys are harder. Pricey though for big dogs like ours

I am still annoyed that the Company of Animals stall didn't have the Casino at DD, I really wanted to get one. I'll have to buy one online. The Twister is a good challenge too.

Thanks, we can start working on that then.

Ah, good idea I could get balls and hide in the longer grass in the garden (a good while before letting him out to find them and bring them back) I cant do stuff like that in the park in the dark cos the kids that hang about behind the hedges would think they were being smart to take them.


Heres how you get rid of children that can be heard instead of seen though.

Was out last night and Loui knew I couldnt see him (I could hear where he was) so I called and he didnt come, I went to walk over and he appeared. These kids had repeated in a silly voice when I called him, then when he had been over to another bit and I was calling they were hiding but calling out silly stuff when I called the dog etc, so praised the dog up for coming over and then they were shouting stuff like 'mad bitch' so I asked loui loud enough if he wanted to eat any children tonight? should we go round there and get them? want to eat kids?- never heard a peep after that Careful what you call people kids! might come true

Guaranteed mine would look for trouble! Lol!

so I am probably better off with the Genius ones then, they are expensive though, he might get one at a time! Yeh, most stuff I get online now. The local shop does order in Kong toys if you want them but by then I'm as well to order online...

They used to have a good range of Mikki Tuff toys but they sold out really quick and I asked if they would get them in as there was one I wanted, they basically said they bought them on offer and thats why they sold them. Now the toys are for either giant dogs or toy toys, there really isnt anything that the likes of Loui or Cain could have, nothing decent and lasting anyway, couple of nylabones and thats it. So I just go online for Louis stuff.

Any reason you can't walk in the woods in the dark? I walk in the woods at night (along with my other local haunts). It is proper dark, sure, but I walk there all the time and know the pathways like the back of my hand.

I'd be screwed if I didn't do 'proper' walks with mine (well, with Bo -- my other two don't care!) because both walks are often in the dark at this time of the year. Lead walking alone is completely pointless for Bo as it winds her up more than it calms her down. So I don't really have a choice but to do off lead walks, be it in the woods, fields, park, etc.

well... my Tupac was last night and im grateful for it!