iPad Pro dock disappears and splits!

Once my iPad Pro has been on for while, the dock (most useful apps to me are in there) either disappears (in landscape), or it splits (in portrait). I have to turn the iPad 180 degrees to get to the right end of the dock to access the right app. Also, the dock then appears on top of other apps. Updates and restarts don’t solve this, and it’s annoying. It only gets fixed temporarily when I turn the iPad off and on again. I wish I had stuck with my iPad Air! How do I fix this? Anyone else been in the same boat?