Why won't my dog put his leg on the ground?

You didn't say if it was foreleg or hind leg. That makes a difference.

My 7 1/2 year old has been limping and chewing on his left fore paw and hind paw. I had to have my husband sit behind him to distract him so I could examine all 4 legs,from shoulder joint all the way down to the pads and paws. When he tried to pull away, my hubby did more to distract him and I used one hand to hold his leg securely while I used the other to feel him carefully. The legs were fine, but he was distressed when I reached his paws. I felt each pad and found no cuts or blood. I felt between each digit and all felt fine. Finally I pushed my finger into the space between the large pad and the digits. I found a lump. It was a burr from a weed that was oval and about the size of my ring finger tip... look at your nail on your ring finger. That would be pretty big size for a burr in that tight space between the large pad and the dog's digits and smaller pads. It's also a very awkward place to remove a burr from. SO... that's one possibility.

You can give him Ecotrin which is coated aspirin. My first vet told me that was ok to give my dogs.

If it's a hind leg, you may need to have him checked for ACL tear, which sometimes requires surgery.

My recommendation is to have someone help you by distracting the dog with some small treats, so you can examine the entire leg from top to bottom. Good Luck. -!-

There are a number of things that could be wrong. You don't mention which leg it is, which makes it even more difficult to guess. A few random possibilities are: A shoulder problem, a hip problem, a knee injury, a broken toenail... the list goes on.

Let him rest overnight and call your veterinarian in the morning to schedule an appointment. Do NOT attempt to give your pet any medications without first consulting your veterinarian.

check for anything in between the paw-pads, if there is anything there dogs wont put there paw on the ground. he may have jumped off something and jarred it? try stretching the leg in all directions, being careful not to strain it, and if he shows sign of pain then stop, hope this helps :))

A diagnosis from the vet is needed. Once you have a diagnosis post a new question and people here may be able to help.

Rub his knee. My dog does the same (she has arthritis) and it helps to rub her knee.

my dog did that but he had arthritis. also he could have broke or sprained something