To think that you don't just let yourself onto someone else's property? Especially when there is a dog there?

[NeonStarfish]

At around 10am this morning I was upstairs having a wash and getting dressed when I could hear my dog barking like mad downstairs. Now when I'm there I always leave the back door open so he can run in and out of the house as he likes, I always keep the gate locked to stop someone coming around the back when he's there. He's not a nasty dog and has never bitten anyone but he does bark when strangers come to the house, he's a big dog and his bark is quite loud when he starts.

Anyway I hear him barking so I come downstairs and I find a woman standing practically in my conservatory. She was stood there rigid, with the dog in front of her barking like mad. She was obviously delivering something and I'd obviously not heard her knocking becaue I was upstairs. She was clearly terrified of the dog, now like I said he's not nasty but I understand lots of people don't like dogs. But this is his territory and when someone unfamilar comes he's going to bloody bark at them! She'd also left the gate wide open behind her meaning he could have got out.

I apologised and said I'd not heard her knocking, and then asked her how she'd got around the back. She was a bit stroppy with me said that she'd put her hand over the gate and unlocked it herself! The dog would have strarted barking as soon as she'd done this. So I took the parcel off her signed for it and she ran off make a silly shuddering noise as she did. I should say that he stopped barking as soon as he saw me and realised she wasn't a threat.

AIBU to think firstly she'd shouldnt have just let herself in anyway? And secondly you don't let yourself into a property where there is a loose dog? I used to do leafleting as a student and we were always told not to go into a property where there was a loose dog for our own safety! He's not a nasty dog but I believe any dog can turn when threatened and protecting its territory, my Uncles dog is as docile as they come but he nipped the postman.

Sorry of this sounds ridiculous, but I love my dog so much and I would hate him to bite anyone and have to have him put down.

[Fleecyleesy]

The delivery person was very silly but I think that for your own and your dog's safety and security you should get a padlock or other lockable thing for your gate. The nobody can unlock even if they do reach over.

[KoalaDownUnder]

No, mellowjello, they only have an implied licence to open a gate if they need to do so to get to the front door and effect delivery. They don't have an implied licence to bypass the accessible front door, open a side gate and go round the back!

YANBU, OP.

[Helgathehairy]

I have a "warning - dog running loose" sign on my gate as my golden is usually loose in the garden. Sometimes I think it makes thing worse , people leave the gate open behind them so they can run if they see a big dog coming towards them.

[NeonStarfish]

I don't think our dog would have bolted as he's scared of traffic, but you never know do you. I was more concerned that he might snap at her for coming onto our territory. As it was he just barked, a lot.

[Littleen]

That's outrageous that she just let herself in!! yanbu!

[Tinklewinkle]

YANBU

We had similar with a delivery driver here and our dog did get out.

DH and I were upstairs doing some DIY and as it was a sunny day had propped the back door open.

Heard the doorbell go and I come down to find a man with my dog. They'd found the dog in the park behind our houses. Thank him profusely, completely confused as to how dog had got out and walk through the house to find a parcel sitting on my dining table and the back gate wide open.

The bolt on our gate is half way down, you can't reach it without climbing on the gate.

The dog will leg it as soon as the gate is opened, so the driver must have known he'd escaped but not bothered to let us know.

I was furious, the dog could have been hit by a car, bitten a child in the park (I don't think he would, but you never know do you), anything. If the dog warden had picked him up I'd've been fined.

I'm not even convinced the driver had even rang the bell, we were only painting so we would have heard it.

It wasn't even just the dog escaping that made me cross, as far as I think my dog is a softie, I have no idea how he'd react to someone entering his territory uninvited. The driver put my dog at risk of all sorts of things. If the dog had bitten the driver, who would be responsible? Would our much loved pet be at risk of being put down? If he'd bitten someone in the park would he be at risk of being put down? Obviously, he's my dog so the buck stops with me, but the driver was a fucking idiot

I was so cross I rang the company to complain (pissing about with their automated answering service for 10 minutes cheesed me off even more). The manager of our local depot rang to apologise, it was a really stupid thing for the driver to have done.

Alls well that ends well, but it could have been a very different story

[NeonStarfish]

It wasn't the a Royal Mail, it was a private courier company. I've never had anyone try and deliver something around the back before. If I'm not in they just leave with a neighbour usually.

[Theycallmemellowjello]

But obviously she should have closed the gate.

[Theycallmemellowjello]

YABU. There's an implied licence for people to enter your property to deliver mail. Otherwise no mail could ever be delivered. If she entered the house, that's a different matter, but crossing the garden to get to the house is completely fine imo. But if you don't want people entering to deliver mail you need a mailbox at the front, or a sign saying do not enter. A bolted gate is not enough to signify do not enter. Most people have their garden gates bolted to stop them swinging - this does not mean that delivery people are expected to wait at the gate rather than opening it and coming to the house - the opposite in fact. Also with "silly shuddering noise" you're not making yourself sound lie a very nice person.

[Bair]

FIL's dog did bite when landlord let himself in without notice for a flat inspection. FIL came home to police and ambulance. Landlord was going on about pressing charges and having the dog destroyed. Landlord was arrested for trespass instead. Dog lived to a ripe old age having never bitten before or again after the incident.

on your behalf at the open gate. My dog's a bolter, we have to have him tethered in the garden as he can clear huge fences. I'd be so cross if someone put him in danger like that.

[NeonStarfish]

It did freak me out a bit when I came down and saw her standing in the doorway zipzap. It was lucky I was decent and not still half dressed, in fact the more I think about it the more annoyed I get!

[zipzap]

Hopefully she's learnt her lesson but she's lucky you hadn't called the police because you heard somebody breaking into your conservatory - I'd have been petrified if I was upstairs alone and suddenly thought I could hear somebody else downstairs. You'd have no idea if it was a -downright stupid-- delivery person or a burglar.

Another vote here for reporting her to her delivery company because what she did was wrong on so many different levels. And even if that means pointing out to them that they need to tighten up on their procedures and not penalise their workers if somebody is out and they need to redeliver...

[smellsofsick]

Your dog didn't bite, he just did what dogs do when random strangers wander in to their houses uninvited!

She was daft for doing that, thorough though!

[NeonStarfish]

Both my neighbours were in, she could have left the parcel there. Or just banged the door a bit harder, I can usally hear it from upstairs.

[SaucyJack]

It wasn't your dog's fault, but I feel a bit sorry for her. Probably just trying to be helpful by leaving your package somewhere safe.

Just one of those things.

[Stillyummy]

Maybe there is a nicer version of "beware the dog" something like "warning, loose dogs inside". Just because your dog sounds like a bit of a softy. if you also padlock the gate then the signe isn't really needed though.

[diddl]

Perhaps she thought she was being helpful by trying to actually deliver something rather than just dump it on the door step?

[MuttonCadet]

I have a "beware of the dogs" sign on the outside, and a "please shut the gate" on the inside.

People still ignore them

[morage]

I frequently get companies leaving parcels round the back. Wouldn't bother me at all. Agree you need to get an actual lock if you want to stop people getting in. It obviously wasn't locked.

[ChwatFeechers]

Seriously annoying. My dog bolts if the gate is left open, why would you go through a shut gate and not close it behind you? Winds me up

[MrsGentlyBenevolent]

I've had this happen, makes me fume. Once didn't realise (had been out, lucky dog was in, all doors locked), they had left the gate wide open. I made a complaint, my dog could have easily bolted towards the main road if I hadn't noticed!

Recently had the council on our road, making checks on rubbish levels street side. I was on my way out, caught them trying to get through our gate, idiots apparently 'didn't realise' it lead to our back garden, therefore was private property. Not even an apology for basically trying to break in, cheeky sods.

[NeonStarfish]

There's no way she wouldn't have seen my front door. Our house is just a normal house layout wise, nothing unusual.

[JesseandCeline]

I don't think anyone should let themselves in regardless of dog.

[soapboxqueen]

Maybe she prefers the bush method or 'out in the rain' technique

[KurriKurri]

Do you have a front door where people can knock and deliver things? (if not am wondering how anyone delivers anything to your house !)

Sounds as if the woman got confused about which was the correct way to get to your house and came the back way by mistake. If you don;t want people opening the gate because your dog might get out then you have to get a lock which they can;t undo - a padlock or something, a bolt or similar would simply say to me 'this gate is shut you may open it' not 'do not open'
Put a sign up saying 'beware of the dog' or 'do not open gate' or whatever.

If it is worrying you that your dog might bite someone (and I agree even a nice dog can bite if they are the territorial/protective type) then you need to up your precautions and beware signs. This woman may have been a bit foolish - I can't tell because I don't know the lay out of your house and garden, but a child might decide to come in one day, and if in the back of your mind you think there is a possibility your dog may bite then you need to keep him securely locked in his garden.