[Britster]

Jackson's main fears would be -- the oven (due to the smoke alarm going off a few times while using the oven), swatting a fly, fireworks, gunshots (or any similar sounding noise).

I don't really mind him going off and hiding during these things. It breaks my heart but if it's where he feels safe, it's okay. However, I have tried to work on some of his fears. The oven, for example... we are always going to be using it so I want him to be more comfortable around it. So I will occasionally break out the clicker and treats and have us do his tricks near the oven on a mat. We inch closer and closer and he ends up not even realizing and forgetting about it. Now, I don't necessarily mind him having a little bit of fear over things such as gunshots and the oven --- yes, these ARE things that CAN potentially hurt him and a bit of fear is okay in my mind. But I'd rather him just remain cautious and work on him becoming less stressed.

Oh, also, last year while we were camping, my little brother has a cap gun that he brings with us while camping. It's not very loud but it's still a "gunshot" in Jackson's mind, and I am sure it's louder to him than us, but last year by the 3rd night of camping, I had gotten him to the point where he could be standing 5 feet away from my brother shooting and had stopped flinching or running, etc.

It just took a bit of de-sensitizing and counter conditioning. In other words, changing his association with a certain thing and creating a new one. So I take what he is fearful of and slowly introduce him to the scary thing paired with yummy treats. I wouldn't just put him in a small room with a bunch of gunshot noises going off. And I wouldn't expect him to sit in my brothers lap while he's shooting his gun, either. But I just want him to be not so stressed out and know that I am here to protect him and he doesn't have to worry about these kinds of things.