We occasionally take care of a friend's small dog. He gets along well with ours, so we just bring him home for those stays. In most respects, he's pretty relaxes, but he is scared of sudden loud noises. Holding him and petting him doesn't seem to help much. He just hides in his crate and whimpers. Poor little guy!

On his last visit, during a storm, I noticed that he had stopped making noise. I went to take a look, and found him in his crate, but with our 90lb husky-mix wrapped almost all the way around it. Evidently that was a form of protection that he trusted, and he had calmed down. Our big guy is a great caretaker who just wants everyone to be happy.

[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I love this story! Your dog sounds amazing.

FYI, there is a prescription specifically for dogs scared of loud noises. It’s called Sileo. Good to get for special boom boom days.

[–] Curious_Canid@piefed.ca 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I hadn't heard of Sileo. I'll mention it to our guest dog's owner.

My dog Denali is a remarkable guy. He's too bouncy to make everyone comfortable, but he really tries and he often succeeds. His intentions are always good. Another of his adorable habits is to bring a stuffed animal to anyone who's having a rough time.

[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

I love Denali! He is obviously a very good boy, and my heart would just stop if he brought me a stuffie during a rough time. 15/10 would hug.