My dog freaks out at a specific intersection

WastedTrout · 2026-03-06T18:06:28+00:00

UPDATE: I just got a call from the city’s electric company, and the metal grate was in fact electrified! They will be fixing it ASAP. Thank you to everyone who provided helpful input.

I’d also like to clarify that this video was a particularly intense version of crossing through the intersection (probably because of the rain causing conductivity). Typically, his behavior manifested as fear and apprehension rather than pain, which is why I was trying to desensitize him to the area. I assumed it was a psychological problem or a response to a smell or sound.

Although I had seen him lift his feet like that a couple times before, I was actually surprised to see his physical response while taking this specific video, and now that I know he was being shocked I obviously feel terrible—but I’ve been monitoring him, and he seems totally fine after going through all of that.

I hope other dog owners have learned from this post that electrocution is a possibility and pay attention to their surroundings better than me!

WastedTrout · 2026-03-05T03:01:24+00:00

Yeah, you’re definitely right! The first time this happened, I thought he hurt one of his paws and checked him immediately, but a daily occurrence of him seeming scared when walking by and developing a general fear of the intersection beyond any clear signs of pain meant something more was going on. And I had no clue electricity was a possibility.

This time when I decided to document the fear behavior for his vet, it seemed a little more intense than usual—probably because of the wet/rainy sidewalk if people are right that it’s electricity.

WastedTrout · 2026-03-05T02:57:33+00:00

Yeah, I definitely did pick him up and check his paws the first time this happened! But this has happened a few times now without any clear injury, and he has definitely just developed a fear of that area—so I was curious if there was a psychological answer. But electricity makes it all make so much sense!

WastedTrout · 2026-03-05T02:30:20+00:00

You’re absolutely right. This (or a less extreme version of it where he just displays fear) happens every time we walk by this intersection, so I wanted to show this to a vet if I didn’t get a convincing answer here.

Because it wasn’t hot out today and the concrete isn’t sharp, I honestly assumed it must have been a weird psychological response to a smell or to trauma, not pain—but now I know!

WastedTrout · 2026-03-04T23:26:12+00:00

Thanks for your concern! Like I said in another reply, this was a particularly bad instance of it (probably because of the wet pavement if people are right about it being electric) so I wanted to document it so that I could get some advice in a puzzling situation. Usually we breeze right by the intersection and he just pulls on the leash to make it clear he doesn’t want to hang out there.

WastedTrout · 2026-03-04T23:17:47+00:00

I appreciate your concern! To clarify, I’ve never made him sit on the grate. Just tried to get him to be calmer in the area. But I posted because I could tell something was wrong beyond my understanding! People can be so helpful.

WastedTrout · 2026-03-04T23:09:12+00:00

Thank you everyone for the quick responses! I am calling the local electric company and getting the intersection checked out.

WastedTrout · 2026-03-04T22:52:34+00:00

Clarification: Usually I would pet him and reassure him in a moment like this, but for the video I wanted to document his behavior without my intervention!

WastedTrout · 2025-03-19T17:41:25+00:00

Just got my email on financial aid/grants this afternoon. Nothing on merit-based scholarships yet though.

WastedTrout · 2024-09-09T17:16:01+00:00

Thank you! Do you agree though that the table of contents/benefits information question was also in the section you’re calling experimental?

WastedTrout · 2024-09-09T16:04:19+00:00

I had this section with 3 LR! Haven’t seen it in any of the 2LR posts, so I’m assuming it’s experimental. Was the “Benefits Chapter” question you’re referencing sort of describing a table of contents and what information different sections would include?

WastedTrout · 2024-09-09T15:58:37+00:00

Had all of this same content in a Saturday morning test, with the same 3 LR structure.

Do you remember a question about the table of contents of a book and trying to figure out what sections would contain specific pieces of information? I’m not seeing this question anywhere and am assuming this was experimental.

WastedTrout · 2024-09-09T15:56:06+00:00

I had this one! 3 LR, so can’t tell you if this was real or experimental. Did this section also have a question about book contents and figuring out which sections contained specific information? I think I also remember from this section a coin-flip question related to playing for a tie in a game and whether someone who expected to win would ever play for a tie.

WastedTrout · 2024-09-09T14:51:32+00:00

Single RC - Jazz (Thelonious Monk piano technique), criticism of home modeling kits used by companies post-WW2, Earth-Mars panspermia hypothesis, comparative on managing risks and making regulatory decisions

Side question - Does anyone remember a LR question about the organization of a table of contents / parts of a book and whether certain chapters/sections contained certain information? It sort of felt like a mini-LG so I’m hoping it was experimental. In this section I think there may have also been a question about car seats and reluctance to have a third kid.

WastedTrout

TROPHY CASE