sorry, can't help you with how to teach him to cope better with sounds - my last lad was similar, it's a common collie trait as they have been bred for sensitive hearing to hear commands at a distance while herding. Unfortunately some are just too sensitive to noise.

The only advice I can give is to be really careful when/where you let him off as you are putting his life in danger if you let him bolt where he can get to traffic.

 

Border collies are sensitive dogs.

I would keep him on a long line rather than letting him off lead completely for his safety and your peace of mind really. You can get some good long ones that allow plenty of room for them to run (I use one with mine as he has some issues as well)

Maybe get a behaviourist in to help show you some techniques to use?

You can desensitise them to sounds by playing a recording of the noise - very quiet at first, then increasing in volume as they become relaxed around the noise.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clix-Noises-and-Sounds-CD/dp/B005LFOVWW
This CD has transport noises on it and contains instructions on how to desensitise them. You will probably find it very useful.

 

As he is a rescue, maybe he associates the noises with this past? I agree with the use of a long line, so that you can keep him safe.

With a dog with such sensitive hearing, I think it is very difficult to protect him from the noises.

If he is on a long line, you can at least always get him back and if quick enough and able to treat, maybe he will eventually see "noise" equals "treat" and become less fearful.

Good luck x

 

using a recording didn't work with my boy - he was fine listening to loud bangs on the cd or tv but any real live noises still spooked him, he was really good at telling the difference unfortunately.

 

It's a very common problem with collies and many of them are noise sensitive.

The tape won't work (been there and done that).

I had a young collie here a couple of years ago and his experienced collie handler was tearing her hair out because of his noise sensitivity. He had also bolted and her husband couldn't even watch football on TV; he was that bad. What worked with that particular dog was a Thundershirt used in conjunction with Doreen Paige 'Insecurity' remedy. Both can be purchased online.

:: Doreen Paige ::

Thundershirt on Sale | Free UK Delivery | PetPlanet.co.uk

Give the lady at Doreen Paige a call and explain your problem. She is very helpful.

We've used quite a number of their remedies over the years very successfully for nervousness, sensitive dogs, car travel issues, etc.

I have recently taken on a 6 yr old collie bitch with noise sensitive issues. I knew she was frightened of thunder and fireworks but hadn't reckoned on her sheer terror of gas guns (bird scarers) and we are surrounded by the wretched things, which discharge about every 10 minutes from dawn to dusk.
It wasn't just on walks either, she was shooting from room to room in the house trying to find a hiding place. I put a Thundershirt on her out on walks and also gave her Doreen Paige 'Crisis' twice a day which did help but it was good old fashioned dog training (and my grim determination to succeed) that finally got her over her fear of the guns.

I'm not saying it was easy because it wasn't and for a few days it looked as if she would have to return to Sussex but I was desperate to overcome her fear because she belonged to my adored twin sister who lost her battle with cancer at the end of June.

HTH

 

Those tapes no they won't work because they don't mimic real life. They have to be set up in a specific way and used in a specific way once the dog is already in such a state of fear.

I would recommend you find a behaviouist who has dealt with sound sensitive BC before who can help you.

 

Yes !!! Get them. Big blanket our border collie loves to be in her big blanket. It’s like a Dog house because it helps them reduce the noice what we hear multiply it by 100 for our border collies. That’s what they hear. Big blanky. I’ll tell u what she has chased off 2 people trying g to break into our home. They can hear things we can’t hear. Blanket and love!