My 20-month-old goldendoodle howls when I leave for work. The neighbors are complaining. I've tried leaving the TV on and giving her a Kong but nothing helps. I

Doesn't matter — the training is the same. She hasn't learned that being alone is safe and boring. TVs and Kongs are distractions, not solutions. Start with micro-absences. Leave the room for 30 seconds, come back, act neutral. No excited greeting when you return — that teaches her your absence is a big deal. Repeat 5 times a day for three days. Then increase to 1 minute. Then 2, then 5, then 10, then 30. You're building tolerance in tiny increments. If she howls or scratches during a session, you increased duration too fast. Drop back down and build more reps at the previous level. Most doodles need 4-6 weeks to handle 2-hour absences calmly. Until she's reliable, crate her or gate her in a small area when you leave so she can't rehearse the destruction or vocalization. Tired dogs handle alone time better — give her 30-45 minutes of hard exercise before you leave. If she's still panicking at 10-minute absences after six weeks, talk to your vet.