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I hope your vet visit goes well.
I'm not a vet but if it was a tumour, I imagine his behaviour would be more consistent - you wouldn't get the playing in the house and yard.
I'm nor sure if I'm seeing a pattern, but it seems his anxiety is in built up, urban areas; and he reverts to normal in areas like the waterside, the golf course before you got onto the street (I got a little confused about where his reluctance started there though) and the school yard. So those sound, to me, like open spaces. It's just a guess, but I wonder if the fireworks unsettled him and he is more relaxed in open areas with good peripheral vision?
Subject to what the vet says (because he is seeing him, we can only speculate) I'd suggest you don't walk him for about three days. The stress hormone cortisol builds in the body and is topped up with every stressful episode. So if it's already at a high level, it doesn't take much for a little thing to add to it, and cause a reaction. If you can imagine a bathtub, with buckets of water being poured into it with every stressful event - it fills faster than the water can drain out until it spills over the edge in a meltdown. An event that might not bother him on a good day could be enough to upset him if his 'stress tank' is already almost full. Studies in dogs are inconclusive but it can take several days to dissipate, so give him a break from stresses and set you both up for success by starting over on an empty cortisol reserve.
Then, I'd start by walking in the places he is least likely to get upset, to rebuild his confidence and show him that you aren't forcing him to face his demons. If he has any doggy friends, ones he already knows, it might help if they came along too.
You might find a pheromone collar helpful too. These carry a scent that replicates the one a lactating bitch has, and have a calming effect on dogs.
Please let us know how you get on.
I'm not a vet but if it was a tumour, I imagine his behaviour would be more consistent - you wouldn't get the playing in the house and yard.
I'm nor sure if I'm seeing a pattern, but it seems his anxiety is in built up, urban areas; and he reverts to normal in areas like the waterside, the golf course before you got onto the street (I got a little confused about where his reluctance started there though) and the school yard. So those sound, to me, like open spaces. It's just a guess, but I wonder if the fireworks unsettled him and he is more relaxed in open areas with good peripheral vision?
Subject to what the vet says (because he is seeing him, we can only speculate) I'd suggest you don't walk him for about three days. The stress hormone cortisol builds in the body and is topped up with every stressful episode. So if it's already at a high level, it doesn't take much for a little thing to add to it, and cause a reaction. If you can imagine a bathtub, with buckets of water being poured into it with every stressful event - it fills faster than the water can drain out until it spills over the edge in a meltdown. An event that might not bother him on a good day could be enough to upset him if his 'stress tank' is already almost full. Studies in dogs are inconclusive but it can take several days to dissipate, so give him a break from stresses and set you both up for success by starting over on an empty cortisol reserve.
Then, I'd start by walking in the places he is least likely to get upset, to rebuild his confidence and show him that you aren't forcing him to face his demons. If he has any doggy friends, ones he already knows, it might help if they came along too.
You might find a pheromone collar helpful too. These carry a scent that replicates the one a lactating bitch has, and have a calming effect on dogs.
Please let us know how you get on.
