How to deal with terrified dog? How can I help him?

I could really use your advice. I have a big problem so I think this is a good place to ask for help. My little dog is terrified of the sound of our neighbour mower. This might sound silly, but it's not, I feel so sorry for him. When he hears the sound of the mower, he immediately starts to run in panic and he is trying to find a place to hide. He is all jittery, he squeaks and ignores all of his toys and treats. I can't calm him down. Is there any way he'll get used to this sound eventually? Or the only option is to ask my neighbour to use his mover as rarely as he can?

 

Claudine, be thankful it is only the lawn mower. My dog is constantly acquiring things she is afraid of. She has strange ones like the foil dispenser. She doesn't like the sound of the foil when it's ripped. She runs from the room.

What I've heard is that they use desensitization to help a dog that is afraid of noises. The idea is to have a recording of noises (or the offending noise). You play it at a very low volume until the dog does not notice. Then, over a course of days, you increase the volume. With the lawn mower sound, you'd increase it until it because the normal volume your dog would hear. At some point, the dog should get to where they ignore it completely.