Poor Joel
I hope he gets over his fright soon. When Pebbles was frightened to go upstairs a few months ago ( a singing toy duck frightened her when it burst into song) I didn't cuddle her.
Like you I pretended I didn't notice her fearful behaviour. I brought her upstairs with me and then played games with her up there and did a few tricks with her and rewarded her with chicken. She forgot about her fear as she enjoyed her playtime,training and treats and was soon back to normal. Would that work with Joel do you think?