The drug of choice to help with separation anxiety therapy is Elavil. The drug is not approved for use in dogs. As with all behavioral medications, it should be begun on the weekend so that the dog can be carefully observed for side effects. Separation anxiety usually requires much patience and hard work on the part of the owners. The poorest prognosis for correction occurs in cases where the owners work very long hours and are gone on the weekends.
Dogs owned by people who travel extensively also have a poorer prognosis.
Canines are naturally extremely social animals who thrive on company. So it is not surprising that separation anxiety is so widely seen.