seperation anxiety

Question
Hello! I have a dog thats a sheperd/retreiver mix, and shes great except for one thing... i think she has seperation anxiety. We dont leave her alone very often, maybe once a month. She used to whine, but then it got a lot better. But now for the past 2 times she has started howling, so now its gone to bad-good-horrible! Now as soon as she sees us getting our coats on she goes crazy, pacing around and whining.
When we come home we ignore her until she calms down and then we greet her and give her lots of love.
But, Why is this happening? What can we do to help?

Answer
If she isn't destructive, it's not full blown SA, but this should be nipped in the bud so you don't escalate the problem.  The best inexpensive resource that can help you solve this and prevent more difficulties is Patricia McConnell's book, "I'll be Home Soon."  You are on the right track with your response when you get home - but be sure that once you do greet her, you don't go overboard.  Just a pat and a "hello" and save the loving for once you've been home a while - in other words, keep that unrelated to arriving at home.  Same with exits.  Go out a different door, leave your keys outside on the porch the night before so you won't predictably jingle them, put your coat on first, not last.  Go out, come in, go out, come in - do this a lot so that she gets acclimated to never knowing which time you are really going to leave.