Dogs gerbil phobia!

Question
Hi, I have a 5YO collie who is frightened of my gerbil cage - he knows from experience they are inclined to do a sudden 'dash' in the cage and he always runs out of the room when they do this, and is uncomfortable being around them in case they happen to dash.
Sometimes when he is excited he will jump around the gerbil cage a bit obsessivly, but that's the only other interaction he has with them.
I tried keeping them in my bedroom for a couple months and at first he was ok about it but eventually he wouldn't even go in the same room! He's been around gerbils for a couple years and its just getting worse.

Answer
Thanks for your email, Jay. There's not any simple training you can do to resolve this. My best advice, for the safety of the gerbils and the mental health of your collie, keep them separated during the rodents' active times. A 5 yo dog is not likely to change his mind about this. He's confused about what he's sees as potential prey being in the same room and not being allowed to get it. The gerbils are also likely worried about a predator nearby.