Hi Dizzi what are you putting in the kong, you may already be doing this but using a mixture of things like potato/sardines and freezing it will make it 'lick able' and last a long time.
I find a good walk and a play before leaving a dog means the dog will often have a sleep afterwards for quite a time.
Some dogs find a DAP diffuser calming when they are left alone.

Have you tried some Zylkene on wet food and some rescue remedy in his water

We have 2 Adults and a puppy and all 3 have crates in our double garage and access to the dog run if I am working they are in their for 6 hours a day and are fine, they have the same crate setup in my lounge and all 3 sleep in their crates at night 2 prefer the door closed and the oldest Sky who is 4 likes his door open we have tried with the other 2 but they bark till we close the doors

A dog walker may be good to we have friends who swear by them

Although I cannot offer any advice as we have never had a dog with separation anxiety, I do sympathise with you.

I feel you are trying to blame yourself too much for this, and if you have depression it is so easy to drop into a pattern of blaming everything on yourself and everything, no matter how small, if it goes wrong is a major disaster to you. Trust me, even the smallest mess, if Dougal was even a bit sick on the carpet when I was at my worst was just a major disaster for me, so I know how you feel.

I really feel, Dizzi, you should see your doctor, cause it certainly sounds to me as though you may be suffering from depression or stress hon.

As for Layton, I really hope you get it sorted out, it is depressing to think you might be coming home to a disaster zone. Everyone here has had fantastic suggestions, and as usual there's someone (SLB) happy to help you out.

Lore I'm pretty much certain I'm depressed (got a history of it) however my GP seems determined to just make me suffer with it because of the miscarriages and me refusing to stop trying and let him fit a coil in return for help with the depression.

Still don't think it's separation now I'm more rational - it seems to very much kick off at a certain time of the day (seems to be between 2pm and 3pm - I can go out for a morning with no problems, but even just going out for the afternoon that's when the mischief kicks in) so now I'm home for a while I'm going to keep an ear out and hear if next door's coming home at some point then and that's what's kicking it off (my other hunch is postman related - yes we get our post that late in the day!)... door's protected by carpet nailed to it, bought some more puzzle type toys in addition to what we have - going down that route at present and still looking into the second dog as I think it's just mid-afternoon boredom rather than SA... hopefully we can change hubby coming home at lunchtime to slightly later when needed as well - and summer's coming up so I won't be out at all dog-less for a good 4 months or so anyway.

Can you ask to see another doctor. If your doc is being an **** then you have the right to change. I had a doc who had the 'pull yourself together' attitude and it took me almost a year of going back and fore to get diagnosed with Cyclothymia, and that was only when I saw a different doc.

Also see if you can get an appointment with the Mental Health Nurse if you have one (not sure of the system in England), mine was a lifesaver and helped me a huge amount, but I had to self refer as I recall.

Good luck, remember, look up, not down and remember you can get through this..small steps still move you forward and upward.

The first thing I would say is change your doctor. The second is to think about a crate, they are a god send. I have used them for all my dogs till they are a yr old and the chewing stage is over, they would go in them at night and if I had to go out during the day, they love them! My latest dog is now 13mths old and have just taken her crate away and put a bed down for her, she didn't like not having her crate at first, she was totally confused by it. I personally would not say that your lab has separation issues but getting bored! Good luck and take a deep breath.

My sympathies to you, but having two dogs at present with separation anxiety I don't think its that. Though they are different. She is OK as long as someone is present, he is anxious when I go out even if others are present. A crate helps her, he is worse in a crate.
However your dog sounds more like a bitch I once had who created mayhem if I left her when she considered I shouldn't, I could go to work every day & no trouble but if I dared to leave her on a weekend or a holiday she caused mayhem. Please don't think about rehoming him as I'm sure it won't help & wherever he goes he will have to be alone at some point. Hope you are feeling better soon & that you don't have to work too many afternoons.

Aw he has a lovely caring home, you obviously love him very much i agree rehoming him would be a shame. I'm sure this can be worked out xxx

I have read all the thread but I might have missed it, how old is he? Our female didn't stop wrecking the house till she was well over 2 years old and even now we have to leave her with something to do, all which have been mentioned, but she is a lot better . She's always had old Zeke, our other dog, so it didn't help that we had a second dog. Buuuut maybe a dog would help tire him out on the morning run, and play when left together as a distraction...Zeke is more of a sleeper so doesn't really tire Keisha out at all!

Try to get a video camera set up at that time of the afternoon you mentioned - we used the video camera and saw our little blighter weeing in my wicker chair, having already chewed the big leather cushion on it months earlier... and the rest LOL!

We think he's anywhere between 3 and 5 years... this just seems to be his latest mischief tactic since we stopped the bin raiding by moving it when we're out. That stopped him viewing the bin as a very large novelty Kong - he does seem to enjoy the scratching type motion anyway - he's happiest in a large pool of fallen leaves trying to scratch his way to Australia.

Like I say - there's something in the afternoon that seems to turn him loopy - so it's not even duration related. The side gate (that makes a lot of noise and is next to the kitchen) is getting fixed starting next week so he won't have that grinding noise if someone comes down the side or it bangs in the wind... the only things I can think of are Mrs Next Door coming in from work, or the kids getting out of school coming down the street that backs into ours - he IS slightly wary of loud teenage kids and they're the sort I've had to complain to the school about before so I'm wondering if it's them mucking about on the next street down.

Next plan is to try leaving the kitchen blinds down and the radio on slightly louder and move lunchtime visits slightly later - but hopefully cut down having to work now anyway since it's DVD/sportsday/double classes up season for my work anyway.

Thank God I get lots of half-day covers other supplies hate taking!

Dizzi, you are very understandably down, and if you think yourself you are depressed then its pretty certain you are as most people dont know they are depressed until they are very bad with it... am I reading that right your doctor will help you with your depression if you allow him to fit a coil??

I am a qualified nurse and you do not barter to make your patients do what you want them to do! You need help with how you are feeling honey, whatever your GP feels about a coil or the reasons he thinks you should have one should NOT be preventing any treatment for your depression, if there is another doctor in the practice please ask to see them, if not please reconsider your choice of GP, I have worked with many GPs and some are outstanding, unfortunaltely some should not be practising, they have the old school mentality that they call the shots

I hope you feel better soon, on the subject of another dog I'd think seriously, my lab is such hard work that when everyone told me getting a second dog would be so much hard work I didnt think it would be, I am loving it but I stand corrected it is very hard work having 2 dogs compared to 1, if you are feeling so low it might not help getting another at this moment in time, you sound like you are doing everything you can for your dog, maybe you need to look after yourself now as well , only you know that but I hope you get some help soon xx