Thanks for the advice andrea 35, I think I will try and give him less of an evening, its all a bit trial and error with him at the moment, because he is a very nervous dog he doesn't like going out in the dark. I do take him to the park but any sudden noises like children screaming or banging in the distance he cowers down and won't move, he is also like that with other dogs until they move away. Its obvious he has been ill treated in the past and its taking a lot of hard work AND a LOT of patience. We have had him for 4 months now and he has made a slight improvement and I do mean slight! I have thought of taking him to training classes to build his confidence, which might help him through his submissiveness. Anyway thanks again for the advice.

Esme