Did you know that in the last year 2,206 posties have been injured by a dog? I didn’t, until I read an article in The Guardian yesterday. I’ll be honest, I was quite shocked. But perhaps I shouldn’t have been.
I mean, it’s thought that there are 10.6 million dogs in the UK, that’s up from 8.9 million in 2018. So, dog ownership has increased and many households have a least one dog. In fact, the PDSA’s 2024 Paw Report found that 28% of UK adults own a dog.
But still, that doesn’t really explain why posties are getting bitten so often. Is man’s best friend out of control? Many dogs bought during the pandemic missed out on socialisation as a pup, meaning they might not behave in the same way as a confident, well-balanced dog. Plus, dogs can be territorial and will often behave in a defensive manner, to protect their home (and you) from strangers. That’s why dogs tend to bark when the doorbell rings or they see someone coming near the door. And occasionally, dogs can be over excitable and may inadvertently nip.
But honestly, none of this is the dog’s fault and it doesn’t excuse attacks on posties and other delivery workers. The dog is the responsibility of the owner and that means it’s down to you and me to make sure letters and parcels can be delivered safely. Even if you want your dog to guard your property. So really, we shouldn’t think of it as dogs are out of control, but as owners are not in control. And I think that has to change, otherwise all dog owners are going to get a bad name.
So, what should we be doing to ensure the safety of posties? Well, whatever the situation, there are plenty of ways to control the situation.
Undertake some training
One thing that often happens when dogs bark, is the owner yells at them to shut up. But dogs usually misinterpret this and think you are joining in with them. So, it doesn’t have the desired effect. In fact, it just makes the dog think they are doing the right thing and that the person at the door is a threat.
A better approach is to do some training and help diffuse the situation. So, your dog’s at ease rather than worked up. You can use treats to distract your dog and train them not to bark. In a similar manner, you should be able to train your dog not to jump up or lunge at people who come to your door. This will also help with friends and family who visit too.
If you’re struggling to undertake the training yourself, hire a dog trainer or behaviourist to help you.
Use guards and post boxes
Until you and your dog have got your training bossed, it’s wise to keep your dog away from the front door when the postie is due.
It’s notable that 18% of dog attacks on posties occur through the letterbox and 26% in the garden. Both are entirely avoidable and there are plenty of practical steps you can take to make sure your dog isn’t able to get to the letterbox or your postie.
You could fit a simple guard to the inside of the door, covering the letterbox. Not only do they stop your dog being able to get to your posties’ hand but they also catch the letters. So, your dog can’t tear them up before you can read them.
Alternatively, you could get a lockable letter box or larger parcel box which can be attached to the wall or the ground by your door or placed at the top of the driveway or by the gate. This means the postie never has to put their hand through your door or meet your dog in the garden. And you needn’t worry about your dog running loose inside or out.
What else can you do to protect your postie?
Plan ahead. Most of us know roughly when our postie comes and much of the time we’ll have an estimated delivery time for parcels. So, make sure you’re ready and ensure your dog is away from the door during these times.
If you have a porch, you could simply ask for parcels to be left there. Then, you needn’t open the door until the delivery person has left. In most cases, you don’t need to personally open the door to receive packages. You can request that a parcel is left in a special place or arrange for it to be left at a local depot or locker. So, make use of these delivery options.
Talk to your postie. You could request that they give you time to put your dog in another room after they’ve rung the bell.
If your regular postie is OK with dogs, perhaps get someone to hold your dog when they come to the door and let your dog see that they are a friend rather than a foe. Chat to your postie and greet them warmly to help your dog understand that they’re not a threat.
If this goes well and your postie agrees, you could let the postie give your dog a treat. That way your dog should see your postie in a positive light. But this will of course depend on what your postie and your dog are comfortable with.
