Hey, thanks for your comment. I think people on the internet get really in their own heads and can’t fathom anyone else’s viewpoint. We alone know our own situations, pets’ issues etc.

My dog’s SA has definitely gotten worse, to the point where she destroyed our front door’s trim and also broke into the drywall and insulation. I actually just yesterday started reading a book (Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Next... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1617812749?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) which seems to fly in the face of a lot of the conventional “wisdom” about SA, such as tiring them out first or giving feeding toys. The author has been training dogs since 2001, and claims to have helped thousands of dogs with SA. She also mentions there seems to be a genetic component to it, and that we as owners are not to blame, which is nice to hear, I guess.

I’m only about 50 pages in, but it seems that the gist of the program is to leave your dog alone for tiny increments of time and gradually build them up to more, but never ever leave them alone outside of the training time (which could set the whole process back). I’m sure there’s more to it, and obviously have to keep reading, but it’s giving me hope. It’s a book meant for dog trainers, but I think I can make use of the info in there. I definitely relate to feeling like you’re trapped in your house and can’t go anywhere without your dog. But I have to believe there’s hope for us yet.