Dog suddenly pulls hard to go home after finishing business — noise anxiety or just being weird?

Hey everyone,

Looking for some insight into a recent change in one of my dogs’ behavior.

I have two dogs, and lately one of them has been doing something odd on walks.

Everything is totally fine at first, but the moment she finishes her business, she immediately starts pulling hard to go back home. Non-stop. Very determined. Zero interest in continuing the walk.

This is new and happens pretty much every time now.

One possible factor is the holiday season. In my area, kids throw fireworks, firecrackers, and other loud noise stuff all over the place, pretty randomly throughout the day and evening. Even when nothing loud happens during the walk itself, I’m wondering if the overall environment (or past noises) might be stressing her out and making her want to go back to her safe zone ASAP.

What makes it more confusing: my other dog is usually the scaredy-cat, and she’s completely unbothered. If anything, she just looks confused about why her sister is pulling so hard to go home. (She’s also… not the brightest one, so that might be part of it.)

The dog that’s pulling doesn’t show obvious fear signs — no shaking, freezing, or panic — she just suddenly decides that going home is the priority.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? Does this sound like anxiety, learned behavior, or just a random dog phase?

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks!