It seems like the advice you are getting is literally all over the board. First, what I would like to say is to look it all over and then stay tuned in to your dog. You know her personality better than any of us who have not seen her or lived with her. Not all dogs are alike and different things seem to work with different dogs. Now that I've said that, I'm going to proceed with my own advice, with the qualification that I am not an expert.

I think your dog would benefit from a fairly consistant routine. I would start by making sure you and she have some special times together....say maybe a walk in the morning and playtime in the afternoon. Be consistant and at approximately the same time of day, so she knows that these are her special times that she can count on. They don't have to be really long, maybe 20 - 30 minutes. She will also be getting her exercise and you can work on getting her used to associating a word with urinating and pooping. I have a dog who literally "forgets to go" while she is outside, so before she comes in, I can ask her, "Did you go potty?" and if she hasn't gone, she will turn around and "go" because she knows what I am talking about.

As noted above, there are those who do not believe you should let a dog sleep on the bed. Well, there are those of us who believe that unless the dog is exhibiting a very dominant personality, sleeping on the bed is one of the most rewarding pleasurable experiences for both the human and the dog. Your dog has NOT been sleeping on the bed, so this problem cannot be blamed on that. In my humble opinion, your dog could get more of that together time she craves and will be denied during the day, at night.

Some dogs seem real comfortable going to their crate for short periods of time during the day. If that is the case, then use it. If not, and she barks and seems agitated when you put her in her crate and you walk out the door, then I would feel using the crate would be exacerbating the problem. I frankly do not like the idea of using a crate for any length of time, i.e. while you are gone all day to work. In lieu of that, is there a kitchen area where she could be somewhat confined so she not get into as much as she could in the whole house? My ultimate solution for a dog with separation anxiety is not always practical...it's another dog! Please keep up on what is going on with you and Scout.