Why wont my dog walk past a certain place? How to address fear, anxiety, or specific spot avoidance.

Okay, so like, yesterday was a total head-scratcher. My dog, Buster, usually loves his walks. I mean, the dude practically vibrates with excitement when he sees the leash. But yesterday? Nada. Zip. Zilch.

First thing I did was grab the leash, like always. He usually starts doing his little happy dance, right? Yesterday, he just kinda looked at me, then plopped down on the floor. I'm thinking, "Okay, maybe he's just tired."

I tried coaxing him, you know? "Come on, Buster! Walkies!" Nada. Then I picked up his favorite toy, a squeaky hedgehog. Usually works like a charm. Not this time. He just stared at the hedgehog like it owed him money.

Next, I checked him over. Figured maybe he was hurt or something. I felt his legs, his paws, his back. He didn't yelp or flinch, so I ruled out anything obvious. Poked around a bit just to be sure, still nothing. Seemed fine, physically anyway.

I even tried different leashes! Got out the short one, the long one, even that retractable monstrosity I usually avoid. No dice. He wouldn't budge. I knelt down and tried talking to him, like really talking, trying to figure out what was up. "Buster, buddy, what's wrong? You feeling okay?" He just licked my face. Helpful.

Then I thought, maybe it's the weather? It was kinda hot, but not crazy hot. We've walked in worse. Still, I tried again later in the evening when it cooled off. Nope. Still wouldn't move.

Finally, I caved and called the vet. They said to bring him in if he still wasn't walking this morning. So, that's the plan. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious. Maybe he just had a bad dream or something? Dogs are weird, man.

This morning, same thing. So, I loaded him up in the car – he was perfectly happy to get in the car, mind you, just refused to walk – and took him to the vet. Turns out, he had a little paw infection. Nothing major, just a bit sore. Got some antibiotics and a cone of shame. He's back to his old self already. Silly dog!