So darn it :-(
The farmers here put up some sort of devices that make 2 loud shooting sounds every half hour that echo over the barren fields and off the mountains to scare the thousands of geese and seagulls from eating the seeds. There's no way to avoid it unless I don't go outside at all and according to a local they keep them for most of spring :-(
Ranger is terrified of shooting sounds and everytime it goes off he ducks , tail between his legs, charges forward and then lies down ideally somewhere below a tree or other hiding spaces.
It's going to the point where he doesn't always want to go outside anymore, generalizes his fear to other loud noises, and if I take him there are parts of our walk I have to convince him to keep walking (other parts he is fine and enjoying his sniffs)
Currently I offer him comfort when he does spook, long calming strokes and words. Trying to teach him that he can come into me instead of charging off for security.
I do indoor games too but obviously no walks are not an option either (they also echo into my room if my window is open so I need some way to deal with it).
It does seem that just the past days he is revcovering faster from his spook so maybe there's a chance he will get used to it.
Any tricks and tips what I can do to help him?
Ps: yes I've been told to ignore such behavior but it doesn't work for him. Ignoring it will leave him running and trying to find cover for the rest of the walk whereas calming him he can at least after a while go back to enjoying his walk. Also while I do see where the ignoring theory is coming from I am not sure of it 100% because I also wouldn't just ignore a child that is that scared...he's not rational in that moment and seems to be unable to get himself back to reality even after time passes.