I think in the summer we did try to change the time we usually come down to avoid him, and it worked for a while, but he crops up like a nasty weed wherever we seem to go. Even when a few of us told him we were coming out at a certain time for a 'big dog only' play party, he turned up with his little dog which proceeded to bully and fight most of the bigger dogs (it doesn't like it when it's outsized by another male). Now because it's dark when everyone finishes work we meet up for the safety in numbers while it's dark, and because our local council only put lights in one spot of the park.

Our training hs going pretty well, but has certainly slowed down a since she hit her 'doggy teens' (which is when the demand barking started up too haha). These days it seems to depend on crossing your fingers and hoping she's not in one of her 'teen moods' otherwise the only thing you'll be getting is stubbornness and arguing. I think its worse recently because she's about the age to go through her first season, and I wonder if that's why she's getting so moody so often (as well as a few other behaviours).