Should I take time off work to help my dog adjust to being alone again?

A day spent doing normal errands with several genuine short departures built in, rather than staying home the entire time, gives far more useful practice than a day where the dog simply has company the whole time, which does nothing to build tolerance.

Even 2 or 3 days used specifically for structured practice, hitting several increasing durations across each day, often accomplishes more than a full week of vague, unstructured time together, since the quality of the practice matters more than the total time available.

If a dog is adjusting well with just morning and evening practice sessions around a normal schedule, taking extra time off may not add much, and the time might be better used elsewhere if the dog does not show signs of significant struggle.

A dog walker or willing family member covering a midday session during the working week can substitute for some of the deliberate practice that dedicated time off would otherwise provide, particularly for building duration gradually rather than jumping straight to a full day. Weekends can also be used effectively for structured practice, since the same principle of genuine, deliberate short absences applies regardless of which days of the week are actually available. Consistency across whichever days are used matters more than which specific days of the week they happen to fall on. Blocking out specific time slots in advance, the same way you would for any other commitment, helps ensure the practice actually happens rather than being pushed aside by other plans.