I assumed that by living with two dogs – Fate and Bud – Zinnia would be thoroughly socialized with other dogs. Our breeder asked that she not be around other dogs until she had all of her shots, so I kept her away from dogs and didn’t worry about it.
But as I bring Zinnia into more and more different situations, I find that she gets alarmed and aroused around other dogs, not quite fearful but not calm either. She barks and barks – loudly. This would be an issue in any real therapy dog certification.
The behavior is not aggressive in any way, but a bit dominant and assertive, behavior she never shows at home or around bud and Fate.
So I’ve stepped up her encounters with other dogs, working to get her to be still and lie down and get quiet. Barking once or twice is fine. But not a dozen times.
Zinnia rarely barks at all, and she has a loud and intimidating bark. It seems to me to be a dominant behavior. Either way, I need to get it under control. She’s a good girl and always tries to co-operate.
I want to sort this out before she gets any older. Today, I went to the chiropractor – I felt and hurt my leg the other day – and we met Aero, Dr. Nancy Burns’s new dog. She said it was okay to bring Zinnia.
Aero is a sweetheart – a rescue from down South. He is active and playful and Zinnia roared at him for a minute or so.
Aero ran away at first, then came back and challenged her to play. After that, she calmed right down and the two sat together during my exam and treatment. This is progress, but I have to keep at it.
Zinnia is the calmest dog I have ever had, so this behavior caught me off guard. I ‘m on it now, though.
I have had many dogs over the past 50 years. Sometimes I had several at one time but now I am down to one dog at a time since leaving the farm. Years ago I started taking my dog or dogs, whatever the case was at the time, to puppy obedience classes. I know how to train dogs but for me it was a way to get them socialized and used to other dogs. My latest dog, a rescue that is terrier, border collie and Australian cattle dog (one of the sweetest, smartest but a bit stubborn dogs I have had in quite some time) the socialization she received in her puppy classes really made the difference with her. I am sure that Zinnia will readily adapt to other dogs with more exposure to non family dogs. She sure seems like a dog that wants to please you.