How to overcome a remembered noise fear?

A month ago when we went to the butcher's we parked in a car park which has recycling facilities The butcher is on the other side of the pavement from the car park.

As we were standing outside the butcher's the glass recycling bin was emptied by a huge machine and it made a horrendous noise. All the humans turned to see what was happening, the crashing smashing noise was so bad.
Missy tucked her tail along the underside of her belly, flattened her ears along her head and tried to run. At the end of the lead she span, desperately trying to get away.

We asked her to sit at the far end of the butcher's shop which she did, but she was still clearly terrified. Once I paid for my meat we walked away in the opposite direction to get more shopping, and when we returned the recycle emptier had gone - though Missy was still scared to go into the car park.

So, here we are today and we couldn't get a space in the car park, so we had to park in the side street a few streets up.
We get out of the car and Missy is fine. We walk to the main road and Missy is fine. We get to the corner of the butcher's road, opposite the car park, and suddenly her ears are flattened, her tail gets tucked again and she is shaking like a leaf.

I have some treats and a clicker in my pocket, I ask her to sit which she does, I try to reward her but she is not interested ,she is still shaking. I ask her to walk on and she does but still shaking. ( Someone even asks is my poor dog cold, shouldn't I get her a coat?)

I buy the meat from the butcher who tries to make a fuss of Missy but - very unusually - she is not interested.

So, the question - how do you get a dog who has experienced such a terrifying noise, over it?

Would you keep going back until she learns that there is nothing to fear?
And when normal rewards such as food and fuss don't cut the mustard past this remembered fear - what would you do?

I had a similar experience years ago.

I was told to completely ignore it. No fuss or treats just carry on as normal. Easier said than done with a terrified collie trying to drag you home. The thing is to avoid rewarding the fearful behaviour and let him see that you are confidant and in control.

I think I'd go back in that direction fairly often and see if you can get closer and closer to the shop without a reaction. However if you need to go to the butcher I suppose you'd just have to go and act normally.

So was repeat and repeat what you did with your collie? Did you do this daily, or weekly, or monthly?

Its difficult this one, because its not a noise I can de-sensitize her to - and she may never come across it again. That's the only time that I ever saw a bottle bank being emptied.

I could leave her at home on the days I have to go to the butcher, but that would seem a shame if there is a way that will overcome it.

So, your collie is fine with his "noise" now?

I agree with Dales Mum - Missy just needs to see that the noise isn't going to appear again.

Stumpy was like this with the sound of a golf club swinging. She wouldn't walk along parts of the golf course where she heard the sound previously. But I make her walk on when I know there are no golfers because I know she's not going to hear the sound. She was unhappy to start with, but then walks on and when she's relaxed a bit, I play with a toy with her (i.e. not rewarding her, but just taking her mind off it).

She still doesn't like the sound of the golf clubs, but she doesn't refuse to walk just because she thinks she's going to here it in a certain place.

So I would say, keep going back, act as normal even if she is scared. Also end that part of the walk somewhere nice so that she's not being rewarded at the time of being scared, but there's something good at the 'other end'.

BUT make sure that you don't turn up on the day they empty it again or that could put her back dramatically.

To be honest Sam was never 'happy' with bangs after his fright but then lots of collies are sound sensitive. However I could take him back to steam gatherings(OHs idea of fun) and fun fairs with no problems , so he didn't bother about the situation once he'd had a few bang free trips. It was just gun shots and fireworks that he had trouble with afterwards.

Thanks both for your help. I think I am going to have to contact the council and see if there are set days for bottle bank emptying and avoid them like the plague.

Then I shall go back up that road, not necessarily for butcher trips but just to show Missy its ok to be there. We'll also end with a run round the local green space.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes. It should get easier in time. Just remember to keep yourself relaxed. Dogs are so quick to pick up on how we feel.

Good idea to check out the days/times of the bottle bank emptying. The idea is that she trusts you in going somewhere where she is scared and you will prove to her there is nothing to fear. So very important that the noise isn't there (or if it is, tha you know its going to happen and that are much, much further away from it).

Just another thought. Once she's happy going that way again, you could take a bottle with you and thow it it - the sound will be much quieter than it being emptied, but it is a similar noise - you could then work up to throwing a few in at the same time.

Good luck.

I think time is a great healer. One of mine is a Greek rescue who used to freak when we went past the kebab shop (I`m not making this up!). I assume he`d been chased out of a few in his time. However, because we had no option but to pass it we had to haul him quaking past and after a while he accepted that it wasn`t going to hurt him.