:confused  Hi I thought it was fireworks that she was afraid of But no as soon as darkness descends (which is now about 5pm) she moves from her sleeping place & sits on my feet , jams herself between my legs & shakes till I switch the light on ...Have you ever heard of a 6 year old GSP bitch suddenly becoming like this!!! I think the fireworks sounds were associated with the oncoming darkness but this is ridiculus...

It could easily be just the association between the fireworks and darkness.  My dobe boy is the same - not as bad, but once the fireworks start he'll only go out after dark to pee, does it as quick as he can and is usually difficult to persuade to do it.  He's not afraid of the dark much indoors, but when I go to bed he'll lie there alert, looking at the window, worrying about noises that may or may not be happening.  He won't do that if the light's on, at least not usually.

After tonight he'll be even worse - some blummin moron (and that is in no way close to the words that are in my head, or came out of my mouth - loudly - in the garden earlier) let off a huge firework just after dark earlier, when he was outside.  And he was so much better than last year so far.  Ar$eholes.

As Nikita says I also think that some dogs associate the dark with fireworks at this time of year. Our dog is petrified of fireworks but will quite happily ignore farm bird scarers and gunshots which he encounters fairly regularly on walks. After the first batch of fireworks has gone off each year he is very reluctant to go into the garden if he needs to after dark but once the fireworks have been absent for a few weeks he will quite happily go out after dark.

If PRA occurs in your breed I would be looking to see if it is her eyesight failing, as it starts off as night blindness, and physical symptoms may not be noticed until middle age if the dog isn't routinely eye tested.

Otherwise I would agree darkness has become associated with unpleasant things.

My friend can't get some of her dogs to go to toilet after dark at the moment because of fear of fireworks.

Our Golden won't go for a walk in the dark I'm certain because she associates it with fireworks which she is terrified of.  She is fine in the garden and will quite happily walk down the road to the end of the garden but won't go any further.  We have just come to accept that she won't go for a walk after dark.

On the flip side, my Cocker won't go out in the daytime for a walk and if you can manage to get him out it's always dark before he will even go outside the front door!  He's fine around the back, he's sleeping in the sun now on the decking but if I took a lead out there he'd retreat in the house to his crate.

My boy associates this time of year with fireworks. He is apprehensive all the way through the winter months because all these months we have the fireworks exploding day and night.

Even in the day I need to be careful and in the day he is more alert and watchful and more likely to warn off dog less strangers who suddenly appear  and approach us. He also has a fear of birds flying in the sky because his fear if fireworks is from the massive visual explosion which would have  caused him a  temp blindness and so he looks to the sky ready to hide if he sees something up there that might explode.   I have worked on these issues but the progress we've made does not warrant the effort. 

I think the only solution to the suffering caused to animals all through the winter months is not medicating our animals but would be the government to have a more sensible firework policy. Restrict the type of fireworks on sale to the public and the use of them to specific times and to the actual festival days.

But  think on it. The Government not only reap in all the VAT on all these fireworks and the alcohol that goes with them and also  on all the medications, treatments, employment of behaviourist trainers etc that we end up spending out on. They are in a win win situation. They must make a fortune out of this misery so no way will they  ban fireworks.

Some dogs can be just afraid in the dark.
Safi, Tibetan Terrier, was very wary about going out last thing at night and couldn't get back inside quick enough. thankfully it seems to be something she's grown out of with maturity. she's 4 now. It wasn't eye problems either as she has regular check fro PRA & LL. Its was nothing to do with fireworks either though. For some reason, big a wuzz as she is, Fireworks don't seem to bother her!! She'll happily watch them, through the window or outside.
I bred her myself, so I know all her histories, she had all the socialising under the sun. She knew the garden from an early age and yet she still crept about in it the dark, and shot back in when she had done her 'duties'.
As I say its improved with maturity. thank goodness.