Fire - my dog is afraid

Question
We have a 6 year old female spayed shitz zu that came to live with us in July 2008.  We also have a 3 year old female black lab and they both get along fine.  Since the weather is getting colder where we live, we normally have a fire in our fireplace.  Our shitz zu is terrified of the fire  (not the lab)  and will not go into the den. She shakes and cries and you can tell just by looking at her face how she feels.  We're not sure if it's just the crackling sound or just the fire itself.  Also, I've noticed she has to be with either myself or my husband when the fire is going on.  She normally is very independent and even though she is a "lap dog" because of her size, she normally does not sit on our laps until now. We have tried to reassure her that it's OK but it doesn't seem to help.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks very much.

Answer
Don't coddle her or let it stress you.  Either sends the wrong signals.  Enthuse with your husband about the fire.  Let her see how much you enjoy it, and perhaps give the Lab attention near the fire.  She may have had a bad experience with a fire in the past, and may be more accepting of it with time.