An anxious rescue dog has rediscovered his confidence with a little bit of help from a soft blue blanket that has been dubbed his “support blankie.”
In a video on TikTok with more than 1 million views, 4-year-old Myko the dog has melted hearts showing off how the blue blanket has given him the confidence to enjoy life again.
“We got him as a puppy from a local Pennsylvania shelter. We were told that he came all the way from a high-kill shelter in South Carolina and that there was some level of neglect and that he was likely not with his mom for very long,” Myko’s owner, who asked not to be named, told Newsweek.
“He came to us several pounds underweight. We don’t really know about his past, but he also came to us with a lot of quirks and fears.”
MykoMushroom/TikTok
Since the day Myko arrived at his new home, they have been working on his confidence to help him conquer assorted anxieties.
“He’s come a long way with overcoming many of his fears,” said his owner. These include “water, ceiling fans, trash cans, shadows and reflections.”
But it is the blue blanket that has really helped Myko overcome his neuroses. His owners gave him the blanket a few months after adopting him. Once a throw blanket in their living room, it quickly became one of his favorite things.
“He would frequently pull this blanket off the furniture and drag it around the house which is when we realized he REALLY seemed to like it,” said Myko’s owner. “I guessed this may be because it was ours, we had used it for a while, and it probably really smelled like us which may have been comforting.”
Myko’s love of the blanket seemed to help him overcome fears inside the house and his owners then had the idea of taking it outside too.
“Unfortunately, a little while back we had a bad setback with his training. A dog that he used to be friends with attacked him out of nowhere,” his owner said. “He was physically OK—and we understand these things happen and that dogs sometimes change their minds—but it really scared Myko and emotionally he just shut down.
“For weeks he struggled to go on his normal walks around the neighborhood. He would hide in his crate, shake by the door, cry about having to go out. So we started letting him take the blankie with him on walks, and it really seemed to help.”
MykoMushroom/TikTok
Within a few walks with the blanket draped over his back, Myko had found his feet again and is now back to his normal self.
While he doesn’t always take it out with him anymore, Myko is still obsessed with his “blue blankie.”
“He sleeps with it throughout the day and at night,” said his owner. “We still cover him with it anytime he’s scared. He walks around the house with it on, eats with it on, even chases balls and toys while wearing it.”
In comments on the now-viral TikTok video, users were quick to praise the clever idea and share their love for Myko. One commenter said, “The blue blanket is his super hero cape,” while another said that they were “sobbing.”
Myko’s owners continue to share updates, pictures, and videos of him on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook under the handle MykoMushroom and hope that sharing his story can be inspiring to people considering getting a dog from a shelter.
“We want to show people how rewarding adopting a dog can be,” said his owner. “We also use our platforms as a vehicle to display the highs (and the lows), the challenges and the successes—we try to be as real as possible with the process. We’ve had MANY fans reach out and say that they went and adopted a dog because they were inspired by Myko’s story.”
The family are passionate about giving back and are currently using Myko’s online platforms to help restock the food supply at their local animal shelter for the holiday season.
In 2021 Myko played “Santa Paws,” dressing up in costume to drop off an entire truckload of food and treats for dogs waiting for their forever homes.
