We have a 4 year old Lab x. He's always been quite nervy and jumpy, but it became particularly bad a couple of years ago after our old neighbours had a firework display in the middle of a summers day, and he was out in the garden at the time. With a lot of perseverance and reassurance, he is a lot better now but still has a few issues caused by being anxious. Anything loud or unexpected really startles him and he barks. If anyone comes to the door or comes up the stairs it makes him jump.
For the last month or so he has also started howling when left alone, something he's never done before. We now have to take him everywhere with us as it doesn't seem fair on him or the neighbours to leave him there when he's distressed. We've tried going back to basics and building it up slowly, making sure he has a safe space and lots to do when he's left, but we haven't made it past 10 minutes as he howls the whole time we're gone. He is fine when left in the car, or when he goes off with his dog walker for the day. He comes to work with me a few days a week, and he is getting slightly better slowly. But obviously I can't have him barking every time someone comes up the stairs, or when a delivery driver comes. Someone can come upstairs, he'll bark, then they go in the other room upstairs and come back out into the main office and he'll bark as it startles him again.
We are waiting for sessions with a behaviourist, but I wondered if anyone had any advice in the meantime so we can help him. We love him to bits but it's becoming so stressful.