I have a rescued 3 year old Rat Terrior. His name is Pippen. We got him when he was a year old. He has come so far! He must have been abused by a female. He is always cowering and scared when I even raise my voice at my kids. I taught him how to sit, stay, shake, heel on the leash and come. It took a lot of patience, which sometimes I didn't have, but we did it. He is so very smart and coy and minipulative! Recently, I have had problems with him running out of the house and around the neighborhood. He no longer comes when I call him. I have to chase him down and put him in his crate for punishment. And, the dog warden has been called a couple of times. It is like a game. He gets plenty of exercise (with two kids ages 4 and 2). We walk him and play with his toys everyday. Seconly, he barks uncontrollably when we take him to our cottage at the lake. It is an unfamiliar environment, but he is really bothering the neighbors and the rest of the family. How can I control this bothersome behavior? I have tried squirting with water, the crate and being firm. But, nothing works. Even if he is just left in the back for a minute, he freaks out. How do I get him to shut-up? Next, he cowers at everything! The piddling has finally subsided, and I don't make a big deal out of it any more when he does it in the house. But, the cowering and the pitiful behavior is really sad and sometimes aggrivating. Does this get better with time? Lastly, he has small dog complex. He is fine when he sees smaller dogs. It is the big ones he goes after. He attacks big dogs every chance he gets. We really have to watch him when we take him to the park to play catch or to walk. He gets very mean with the big dogs. He is good with small dogs, as long as his kids aren't around. What is the deal with this and how can we control it? Any advice would be great! We are getting used to him, but these few things are really driving us crazy!

Thanks,

Pippens Mom.