Hope has been with us again for another 30 days. Since her return, her kennel time has been spent in seclusion (just like she would be if she were an only dog in the family and the owners had to go to work). For the first week, there was some whining. She was corrected for that. Because the correction came early, it never escalated.
Additionally, Hope has been given quite a bit of freedom and affection just to see how that would affect her behavior when she is alone. Since our concern was separation anxiety, I wanted to give her ample opportunity to show that to us so that we could see what we needed to do to help her. We just have not seen any of the issues that her first trial family claimed to have. I certainly am not suggesting that they made anything up.
What I am thinking may have happened was that they just did not have enough information under their belt to address any issues that arose or recognize the possibility of escalation at the beginning. We met at a half way place (they live in Conway), so there was little time for training and teaching. This will not happen again. Any family that is interested in a Rescue to Rehab dog will have to come to me to pick up the dog and make time for a session. All of this being said, Hope is officially available for adoption again. I still 100% believe that she will be an excellent companion for somebody.