In my recent article on fireworks and noise sensitivity, I explained how a single frightening experience can grow into a phobia that affects every part of a dog's life. Rocky's story shows just how far that can go, and how, with time, the right support and a LOT of patience from his owners, a dog can find his way back.
Meet Rocky
Rocky is a five-year-old border collie who lives in Cambridge. When his owners first contacted me, about a year ago, he was extremely sound phobic. Motorbikes, power tools, thunder, children screaming, and any sudden bang or crash frightened him.
His fear had fluctuated over the years, but started at around 16 months old, when a firework display very close by left him terrified. During the summer of 2025 it escalated, until Rocky was avoiding leaving the house and even the garden.
When I first met him, Rocky:
- went to extreme lengths to avoid his harness, leaving the room if his caregivers approached the back of the door where his harness was kept. This is likely because the next step after having his harness put on would be leaving the house.
- lying down and pulling back to avoid being taken for a walk
- hid indoors, in his crate or in one of his other safe spaces whenever he was startled by noises outside
- ran back inside mid-play at the sound of distant bangs or unexpected noises, sometimes up to three times in a single play session
- would only tolerate the occasional very late-night walk, always after 11 pm
- was a flight risk, likely to bolt if he encountered a loud sound while out
He also had a history of refusing to get into the car, had been attacked by dogs when he was younger (although he wasn't aggressive towards other dogs), and showed some shadow chasing.
Most striking of all was how he looked. Rocky walked around with his head down, looking very anxious, and seemed genuinely depressed. He rarely left the house, and he appeared to be living in a constant state of fear of the next noise.
Why pain was on the list
Rocky had always been noise sensitive, but his fear worsened markedly at around five years of age. As I explained in my recent fireworks article, a sudden deterioration like this, with no obvious new trigger, always makes me consider pain. His history of refusing to get into the car, which is often linked to pain or discomfort, added to that concern.
Getting him to a better place first
Rocky was so low that our first priority was to improve his emotional state as quickly as possible. We could then begin to work out what was driving his behaviour. Working closely with his vet, who made all the decisions about medication, we started two things at the same time:
- Anxiety medication. This medication is also used as an antidepressant in humans, and when it started to take effect at 6 weeks in, it lifted Rocky's mood noticeably, as well as reducing his anxiety in general.
- A pain trial, using two different types of pain relief.
The plan was to get Rocky feeling better, then wean him off the medications one at a time to see whether any of them were making a difference.
He improved. He spent much more time in the garden, settled better outside, and was clearly happier in the house. His whole demeanour changed. As is typical with anxiety medication, the improvement was gradual and continued over time.
But he still didn't want to leave the house, other than very late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
Behaviour modification
- Alongside the medication, we put a behaviour modification and training plan in place. A VERY important part of the training is that Rocky was never forced to go outside if he didn't want to. Choice, predictability and being in control is so important for very anxious, sound phobic dogs. They need to know that if they get that harness on and set foot outside, they can go straight back home if they choose to. Knowing this encourages them to start to venture further and grow in confidence.
- Rocky's harness had become deeply aversive to him, because it predicted going outside, and going outside was terrifying. So we bought a new harness and taught him that it meant only good things. The new harness was never used to take him out. Whenever he had to leave the house, for example for a vet visit, his caregivers used the old one, so the new harness stayed associated purely with pleasant experiences.
- We also worked on the front door, taking him out of the back door at all times when he had to go out and didn't have a choice (mainly vet visits). At first, Rocky wouldn't approach it at all. Gradually he became comfortable walking up to it, then standing at it while it was open, and then going a little way up and down the path.
- Rocky's caregivers determined what Rocky's favourite thing to do was (playing catch with his ball), then we gave the ball game a cue "where's your ball". We paired this with scary noises when they occurred. In this way, the noise became the predictor of his favourite thing in the world - his ball - and helped to start gradually changing his negative association to loud sounds.
- When family members visited the house, they encouraged him out to greet them, which he started to do over time, and the owners worked on settle and relaxation training to help him to relax and feel safe.
- Rocky had a border collie friend who visited occasionally with her owner, and when she was there he started to want to go for a walk. On one of these early walks with his female collie friend, the caregivers didn't realise that there was a rowing event on the river close to where Rocky lives. Unfortunately, the noise and crowds set him back for several months. Setbacks are common in these cases, so we encouraged the caregivers not to become despondent.
Six months in
Six months after we started, Rocky was much happier at home. He no longer ran inside during play sessions, and he was asking to go out at around midnight or 1 am, although he refused at any other time. Things were moving in the right direction, despite some setbacks, but we still weren't seeing the progress we wanted.
We had gradually weaned him off both pain medications, one at a time, and hadn't seen his behaviour deteriorate. But because his fear had worsened at five years old, and he still struggled with the car, we remained suspicious of pain or discomfort. His vet arranged a series of X-rays, which showed nothing abnormal. Because getting Rocky out of the house and to the vet was so traumatic for him, we decided not to pursue further medical investigations at that point, although pain remains a possibility.
Adding Pexion
We then tried adding a second anxiolytic medication, Pexion, which can specifically help with sound sensitivity. In my experience, Pexion tends to either work very well for collies or not work at all.
For Rocky, it worked very well. Within a few weeks he was wanting to go outside for walks, and wanting to stay out once he was there.
His owners started by keeping walks short, despite Rocky wanting to go further, to leave him wanting more, and reduce the risk of encountering loud sounds a long way from home. Then gradually built up the distance, keeping everything positive and taking his ball in case they encountered a loud scary noise.
Rocky today
Rocky is now choosing to go out for a walk, during the day, around five days out of seven. Some days he still refuses, and this doesn't seem to be linked to anything obvious, but it is a huge improvement on a dog who would only venture out after 11 pm, if at all. He has enjoyed some lovely walks, and he looks happy and relaxed while he's out.
We are continuing to work together, with the aim of Rocky going out every day and being happy to go out whenever he needs to. He still finds getting into the car difficult, so we are working on that too, and we remain alert to the possibility of pain or discomfort. But above all, Rocky is a happy boy again.
What Rocky's story teaches us
- Noise phobia can take over a dog's whole life. What likely began with one frightening firework display at 16 months old grew, over several years, into a dog who could barely leave the house.
- A sudden worsening deserves a closer look. If fear escalates in an adult dog, consider pain, and speak to your vet.
- Medication can be life-changing. Rocky needed his mood lifted before he could begin to learn that the world was safe. Prescription medication, managed by a vet, made that possible.
- Behaviour modification still matters. Medication lowers anxiety; training and careful management help a dog build new, positive associations.
- Progress takes time and isn't always linear. Setbacks, like the rowing event, are part of the process. A year may seem a long time, but recovery from a severe phobia often is.
If your collie's noise fears are affecting their quality of life, please don't wait for them to get better on their own. Get in touch, and speak to your vet. The sooner we start, the easier it is to help.
Please read more about severe sound phobia in the following articles: