I wasn't sure whether to post here or on the general cocker section, as I don't really see it as a behavioural problem. I am just curious for any ideas on why this is happening.
Most times I walk Jake (nearly 5 months) past a certain place he suddenly puts the brakes on with no warning and grinds to a very sudden halt. He really does not want to walk in this area, it is just a road and a pavement outside a former pub on the edge of our small town.
The strange thing is that our other cocker Tia did the same thing in the same place last year when she was a pup, it became less dramatic and then stopped happening so much until she eventually got over whatever it was.
So my question is, and goodness knows if anyone will have any theories

is what is causing the dogs to do this? My OH and I joked when Tia did it last year that she was picking up on the horrific incident that happened outside the pub a few years ago, we then concluded that it may just be some kind of chemical spillage from the past which is still leaving a smell that she was picking up on.
This does not happen anywhere else.

Would love any advice, it is really bugging me what is triggering this reaction from both the pups and it's impossible that it is a copy behaviour as they are walked separately.