27/08/2026
With storms rolling through tonight, this felt like the right page to share.
In Chapter 8 of Aidie & Remi, Patch hears loud bangs, panics, and bolts straight out the back door. It’s a scene a lot of dog owners will recognise — noise phobia is one of the most common fear responses in dogs, and it can happen with fireworks, thunder, or anything loud and sudden.
What matters isn’t just recognising that a dog is scared — it’s knowing what to do next. In the story, Kai the vet walks Aidie and Remi through it step by step:
Don’t shout or chase — it only makes a frightened dog run further
Move them to a quiet spot, away from windows and noise
Get low, speak gently, and let the dog choose to come to you
Stay calm yourself — dogs pick up on our energy, especially when they’re scared
These aren’t just nice ideas — they’re the same calm-first approach used in real canine first aid response. Teaching kids this early means they grow up knowing how to actually help a frightened dog, rather than freezing or making things worse without meaning to.
That’s the whole point of the book: giving children real, usable skills for the moments that matter most.
Credit to my fabulous illustrator Fiona Barden. This is one of my favourite chapters in the book!