Help with dominant dog now a single dog please....

Bedlam

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We had our ancient and pointless pointer put to sleep the week before last. She had a great life, but everything just wore out in the end and our lovely vet came to the house to send her to sleep in her bed at the grand age of 16.

So - we have a single dog now. A rather dominant 7 year old Lakeland terrier who was hugely badly socialized (or not) as a puppy and has never been reliable around other dogs. The pointer has always been here though - so he's never been without another dog in the house. The last few years she was confined to the kitchen (where we spend most of our time anyway) because she was leaky and unreliable in other ways, and he slept in there with her overnight.

Now she's gone we can leave the kitchen door open and he freely wanders the house most of the time. BUT - here's the problem - he's started to mark around the house. He's also taken to attacking the post when it arrives. I got hold of a DAP collar last week to see if that would help, but no change so far. He's back to being shut in the kitchen overnight which isn't a problem for him or us really, but he still seems to be marking when we don't watch him. No other issues - he doesn't seem to be hugely bothered by her absence in any other way.

Any ideas........?
 

Dobiegirl

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Sorry about the loss of your old dog and what a wonderful age. Your current dog sounds very unsettled as the dynamic has changed, is he neutered?. Have you spent less time walking him because your time has been taken up with your old dog. I would confine him until he stops marking and spend a bit of quality time with him, not just walking but play some games with him. Hide some toys and get him to search them out. Give him some chews, bones and a kong filled with some goodies. If he continues to mark he might possibley have some sort of bladder infection which will need to be checked out with a vet.
 
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