Success with modified Alone Training?

[smt]

Hello, I'd love to hear some encouraging stories from those who have had success with doing a modified version of Alone Training, ala Patricia McConnell.  Specifically, from those who have no other option but to leave their pups totally alone (no other pets or people) for at least a couple of hours per day throughout the training protocol.  Please do not reply back with recommendations to take them to doggie day care or enlist a friend to watch them during the course of training.   Those options are just not feasible.  I keep getting hung up on the part where you are not supposed to leave a dog with SA tendencies alone until they are fully secure and can handle it.  Given our work days, hours alone will range from 6 (one day per week) to 3-4 (4 days per week).  This would begin pretty much immediately, assuming we bring a dog home on a Saturday and have to go to work on Mon. I think we could swing taking a day or two off of work, but probably no more than that, which would give us Sat-Tu to work intensely on Alone Training, but by Wed, she would be in the crate, alone,  for 3 hours.  I am asking ahead of getting our next foster.  Fingers are crossed that it will be a non-issue, but our last foster bounced around bc of SA, and I would really like to be more prepared this time, preemptively.  Thanks. 

[HeyRunDog]

I was given two bits of advice when I adopted Grace by the adoption agency. The first was to leave her on her own for a short time each day several times a day, even if I didn't need to go anywhere, from the beginning so she doesn't expect to have company all the time, and it worked. 

The second was to crate her at night and when she was left alone. Trying to put her into the crate caused her anxiety levels to rise and she started to hate it. The solution was to let her have the run of the main room, cover the top and 3 sides of the crate with an old blanket and leave the door to the crate open so she could use it as a safe place.