That's a good question, it made me think. Actually, no separation issues from us people. My husband is mostly retired and I work part time so we're in and out at different times of the day and night. We wouldn't have dogs if everyone was gone for long, extended periods. The most the dogs are alone is about 6 hours. Unfortunately, they don't go many places with us as the coon hound gets violently carsick! Anything more than 3 miles and she throws up. She has even gotten used to throwing up in a plastic bag, which we always carry if we have to take her someplace. Not even motion sickness meds will help her.
I will say they're happy to see us when we return if they've been alone but they're not upset. They don't do destructive things when we're gone and they don't act out when we return. I think they're happy to see us mostly because they have to go to the bathroom - which neither ever does in the house - and because they want dinner!
The only anxiety we get from them is if we separate them from each other. That's mostly from the lab, too. If we must take the coon hound out [such as to the vet], we can hear the lab crying from outside the house. The lab was that way about her sister, too, who unfortunately died a few years ago. That's why we got the coon hound, as a companion for the lab.
Hounds don't get upset often. They're happy as long as you feed them. The only time the hound would miss us is if we didn't show up to give her dinner!
