Another option is to make a tape of yourselves talking to Max and play it on a tape recorder when you are gone on continuous repeat.
Assuming none of these options will work, I would consider drugs, without hesitation. Clomicalm is an anti-anxiety medication that works well in some dogs with separation anxiety.
Ask your vet to dispense some (or write a prescription; its less expensive at a human pharmacy), and try giving it to Max when you're home. If it seems to sedate him without any other side effects, consider using it when you're gone, but only leave for short periods of time at first until you can be confident it is working, and he is not going back to his destructive ways.
Your veterinarian may want to monitor some blood levels in Max to make sure the medication is not having any negative effects on the liver or kidneys (which would be rare). In a severe case of separation anxiety like Max's, using medications such as Clomicalm makes sense, due to the risk of self-injury or legal actions by your neighbors.
Best,
Jon Geller, DVM
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