I am finding myself getting increasingly anxious about the evenings getting darker earlier. I am getting into work later in the mornings cause I am trying to give them a decent bit of exercise while it is light but then I can't leave work until 4.30 so am rushing to get them out as it is already going dark by then.Honestly - how much easier my life would be.......

How do others manage to exercise their dogs in winter?

I bite the bullet and get up at 6:00 am to walk the gang (in the dark) before going to work. I finish work at 4:30 pm and it's pretty much dark when I leave - when I get home at the back of 5:00 pm it's definitely too dark to risk pavement free roads. There's not a lot of daylight in Scotland at this time of year. However, it's Saturday and I'm just about to take them down to the John Muir park in Dunbar for a decent run where I can actually see them for a change.

We're lucky (well I am) because I either work at home or am looking after Lachie at home so we nearly always get out in the light. We've had some fantastic walks this week in the woods, beautiful bright and warm days and not a soul about. Not meaning to rub it in, but generally I like the winter now, much more than I did when working office hours. Heres a picture from yesterdays walk.

I work 3 days a week so luckily I only have a problem on those days. There is an off road walk across fields that I take, with a torch. We also walk down some lanes although there is some traffic in places so I carry a bright torch and the DH has a flashing light on his collar.

He is kept on a lead for these walks but he doesn't seem to mind, he just walks alonside and stops frequently for a sniff around. He's got a large garden and we have another dog so he also gets exercise at home in the day chasing the terrier around the garden/paddock.

Oh I know exactly what you are talking about, just had this conversation with neighbours of mine who have a Retreiver and a Leonberger. I hate this weather, dark nights. I won't go anywhere remote when it is dark, had a nasty experience once when I got followed and flashed at! It has really spooked me up and it was daylight!

I am lucky in the sense that I have a 'job and knock' career. I am field bases, so my car and house are my office, I visit companies everyday and am usually home by about 2pm. I do have 1 day a week where I have to drive 160 mile round trip, but am still managing to get home for 3. As long as I can get them out by about 3.15-3.30, we can get to the golf club and have a good old run, failing that we have a football field, in the middle of a lane where there are no houses etc, so you really dont see anyone about, they can have a good gallop there too, just sometimes I find they are only getting 20 minutes before it starts to get dark quick. My husband is a driving instructor and doesn't start till 10am, so he will take them out in the morning if need be. But yes, it is hard, then again when it is boiling hot its hard too, we usually don't go out till 9pm then because of the heat, we can't win in this country!

I'm enjoying the lovely weather today, during the week it's dark when they go out in the morning and dark when they go out at night. There is a huge field behind our house and they all run about like loons, I can't see unless it's a full moon in a clear sky. I do sense them wheeeching past me in the dark, they must have good night vision because I've not been skittled by them yet.

Blimey, Murph has managed to 'take me out' in broad daylight, leaving me a bruised heap on the floor, with husband laughing his head off Can't imagine what he'd be like in the dark!!!

If you want to know where Murphy is in the dark then get one of those flashing lights that you can clip onto their collars that I use to walk Ben in the dark. They flash blue and red, are very bright and you'll see where Murphy is at all times. They only cost about £3 or 4£ at pet shops.

Robb wrote:


I have just bought 5 of the flashers as all my dogs are dark coated so will make it easier.

Was out walking around a call center (desperate!) last night and they saw off a fox but I couldn't see them due to light and dark coats

In winter, if we are both working, the dogs don't get a run as it is dark when we leave and dark when we get home. Hubby only works 2 maybe 3 days a week (none for the last 4 weeks )so it isn't too bad.

During the winter, weekday walks in the daylight are not an option. I usually leave and arrive home in the dark.

I've just bought a head torch and some reflective arm bands for me and the dogs so I can still do road work around the local lanes. The ones for the dogs fasten around their legs with velcro. Looks quite funny when all you can see is the little fluorescent strips trotting along in the darkness. Off road walking isn't a problem where we are.

Ben hasn't wanted to go for a walk in the dark during the last week. He's been wanting marathons (6 miles) in daylight on the 4 days that I'm home, but on the days that I don't get home till after dark he just doesn't want to go.

I don't think that its just the dark but rather a combination of dark, wet and cold.

Robb wrote:


Rob , are you sure it's not just you who doesn't like the dark/wet/cold ???

I get ready to go out, we go out the back door but he won't go through the gate without a lot of persuasion. He's quite happy to have a run up the garden but refuses to go out the gate into the street. I could insist but I don't see the point if he's not bothered. It's not like he doesn't get regular walks and as I said he'll jump at the opportunity to go out in daylight and want to walk for miles.

Clumber Park is pitch black by 4.30pm at the moment so I had been going out with a head torch. Had to resort to the back garden at night now as in the last month or so there has been a rape in the park and a game keeper was murdered in the next village.

We have a night watchman from 8pm but I am no longer brave enough to go out that late....big dogs or not.

Odelle and Twist dont seem overly bothered as they always get at least one longish walk during daylight. Stroll on summer, thats what I say:)

Chilliwoman, where do you live?! Sounds kinda scary. J+D go out all weathers courtesy of Scotlands 4 seasons in one day! I do tend to stick to lead walks at night though, too big a coward to go into the park when its dark, my imagination runs away with me. During the day it is definately a run in the park, fir them not me I just plod along behind and yes I too have been thrown into the air by the boys! Thankfully no serious injury but bruised bum! The pic was taken during the snow in Nov 08. The boys loved it because the park was deserted. I have to watch D with other dogs as he tends to chase/hunt.

what a wonderful sight - I can just imagine deerhounds having a good old romp through all that snow

What a lovely picture....forgotten what real snow looks like
I live in Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire....it has been a bit scary lately but before this recent stuff there has been no trouble here.
It is a lovely place to live really.

I have often walked my Cailean as late as 10-11 PM even on these winter nights to avoid the situation where she would want to be loose and play with any dog she meets at the park. A lot of people and dogs are dismayed to see such a huge beast bearing down on them at a thundering gallop. Longer daytime walks are our favourite time for her to stretch out & zoom along the beach or zig and zag her way through the woods is a joy to behold. At 22 months Cailean has just begun her second heat and I know I will be out very late not be letting her off leash at night. She will sulk for sure, I'm going to have to choose a route no where near the park. I will try swabbing her tush with vinegar and water or lavender oil as suggested by her breeder.

Hi, not easy is it when during the winter you leave home for work & it's dark, then you get back home from work & it's dark again. I walk pre/post work with my 2 dogs, & often think I might as well have just walked round & round the garden sometimes. I stick to the lanes when it's dark rather than cross country. It's not such a problem when the stars light up the sky or there's a full moon, you can even see your own shadow in the moonlight. When there's little moon, & cloudy skies I sometimes resort to using a torch. On one such occasion ( minus torch) we had walked over a mile before I realised that one of my dogs wasn't attached to his lead ! Fortunately he hadn't noticed either ! It's not to bad with Charlie as he is a fawn colour, but Amy my deerhound is sometimes impossible to see, I even asked the breeder if I could buy the pup with the most white on her chest just to aid visability in the dark !