After reading your original post, I thought it was a routine case of a dog maturing and challenging you for leadership. I suspect there is a strong element of that in the problem. The change in routine is a big factor too. Dogs are pack animals and need companionship. Perhaps some of this is an attempt to show his place in the pack and influence you into staying around. What ever else you do, it is critical you claim your place a leader. The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at
Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see
Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss
Your bed becomes your bed. He is no longer allowed on it. You don't mention if you have been letting him sleep in your bed. If so, stop. I do have to agree a crate is a good idea. If you check the sticky at
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post251802 you will see I strongly recommend them. Other dogs may
Not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog
Will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for
Dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with
Something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.
Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.
A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
Time for more than one dog.
I think exercise is greatly over rated in controlling dog behavior. The top 3 things ar eleadership, leadership, and leadership. Many professional dog trainers have exercise as their last refuge. If they can't solve the problem, they announce the solution is a 3 hour walk every day. Of course nobody has time for that, and if they don't follow it, it is not the trainer's fault the ill behavior continues.
In some ways, he will get his way, in teaching obedience, you will have to spend more time with him. It would be better if the rest of the family works on it too. They certainly will need to learn and apply the top dog rules, or at least if they don't want bit.
How old is your daughter? With somebody the right age in the family, 4-H dog training is a great idea. In my area, clubs form soon after the first of the year. Even many urban areas have 4-H. For info look in your phone book under government listings for extension or cooperative extension offices. Ask specifically about a dog or canine club.