Oh poor Mr. Sniggles had the worst separation anxiety. He would literally stare me down as I walked through the house making sure I wasn’t about to make a getaway. I am not sure how/why he got it but part of my job was to find a way to relieve him of it.
His response to my leaving was to bark obsessively. I tried everything to distract him when I left from hiding treats to installing pheromone relaxation plugs. Nothing worked until I found the amazing KONG. I bought several and put treats, peanut butter, etc. in the KONG to get him focused on those 4 KONGS so I could slip out. It worked I learned to put the peanut butter deep inside the KONG and freeze it so it would take him like 30-45 minutes to lick it all out.
To get him more relaxed I would give him a KONG when I was home so that he would associate it with a calm state and a treat. I would throw all the KONGS out before I even put on my shoes, jacket, keys and hand bag and with him distracted I could slide out no problem.
If you try the KONG make sure it is the right size for your dog. Be careful and read all safety tips on the packaging so your dog is safe while using it. Also, make sure you check the KONG itself to ensure it is not cracked or damaged so as to not be a hazard.
I hope some of these tips work for you. I think Mr. Sniggles learned to enjoy the “It’s Raining KONGs” routine in our living room each time I left the house. He was under a new tasty spell so much so, that he didn’t even notice me leave.