The postman has long been portrayed as the archenemy of the dog. Countless movies, cartoons, and jokes have revolved around the image of a ferocious pet dangling from the leg of a hapless postman. Is there any truth in this representation? Maybe there could be. So, “Why do dogs love to hate the postman?”
Dogs are notoriously territorial. Even the most passive dog will pay attention to anyone they think is an intruder. Dogs are instinctively suspicious of anyone who is not part of their “pack.” Even someone seemingly innocent like the postman can seem like a potential threat to a dog.
Body language is a tool that dogs use to communicate. It is important to understand how dogs think. When your mail carrier, UPS driver, or any other delivery person approaches your home, they walk toward your home facing you with the front of their body. Your dog is inside the house watching this approach. Facing a dog with the front of her body is the dominant body language for a dog.
The postman comes to the door to deliver a package and instinctively your dog barks. The delivery man then puts the item down, turns around, and walks away from his house. Walking away from a dog is submissive body language in a dog’s mind. His dog originally barked because someone was approaching his house. Fido now believes that his brave barking scared the person away. When this occurs regularly, several other things can evolve. Your dog will gain more confidence and his bark may also become deeper and sound more threatening.
The postman who notices your dog’s threatening bark may unknowingly display additional body language that reveals discomfort or fear. Your dog will feed on this and a pattern or “learned behavior” has now been established. Without any intervention from his owner, this pattern will continue until there may be a real problem between his dog and the postman.
Another thing to remember is that dogs are very intelligent. Many dogs make the connection that when a person in uniform approaches your house the same thing happens. The uniformed man approaches, your dog barks and the uniformed man leaves. This is why the problem can escalate to include anyone in uniform.
It’s much less common for a dog to take it to the next level and aggressively chase the postman. Although it is not uncommon for a dog to bite a postman, the number of dogs that do not attack the postman is far greater than the number of dogs that do. Relatively small as that number is, this possibility has instilled a certain fear of dogs in the average postman. If your dog really just barks with joy, don’t be offended if the postman doesn’t return the enthusiasm.
If your dog is the type that could legitimately attack a mail carrier who is on your property, then it is your responsibility as the dog owner to take the necessary precautions to keep your mail carrier safe. The first thing you should consider doing is posting a warning somewhere conspicuous that you have an aggressive dog. This will give the postman or any other delivery person who needs to come to your door adequate warning that your dog may not appreciate his company. Also, you should make sure that your dog does not have access to the part of your home that the postman would approach at the time he normally delivers your mail.
There are severe penalties for owners who have dogs that attack the postman. The dog’s owner may be fined, have his mail delivery suspended, and he may also have to euthanize his pet. No one wants such radical measures taken against themselves or their pet, so the best option is to protect your dog and the postman from each other.
If your dog starts having problems with your postman or already has a problem, implement obedience training to correct the barking. If you are sure that your pet will never harm your postman or anyone else, it is a good idea to take the opportunity to socialize and introduce your pet to your postman.
Savvy postmen and delivery guys are often happy to befriend dogs on their usual route. Do this in a controlled environment, do it outside the house away from the door or entry area, always keep your dog on a leash and ask the delivery person for permission before doing so so there are no unexpected surprises. If your mailman balks at a “meet and greet,” respect his wishes. There’s no reason why your dog and the postman can’t be friends, or at least coexist, rather than archenemies. The choice remains with you.