To think if you are that scared of dogs you shouldn't be doing deliveries?

[MummySharkDoodoododoo]

I do totally understand that people don't all like dogs. I understand that some are terrified of them.

But 2 deliveries this week have been by people that are too scared of my dogs, who are always shut in the kitchen before I open the front door, as I do respect that not every body wants to meet them, which is fine.

Today, the woman knocked on my door. The dogs barked, I shut them in the kitchen and then opened the door, she was stood 2 doors away, at the end of the driveway, shouting that she had a delivery for me. I was in my pjs and had no shoes on, so was expecting her to come and give them to me. She asked if the dogs were ok, I said yeah they are fine and are shut in the kitchen and can't get out. She came closer but still wouldn't come down my drive, I ended up coming out in bare feet and getting the parcel and signing for it at the end of the driveway.

Similar happened last week although he did deliver to the door, but said he wouldn't have knocked if he knew I had dogs

For context, one is big and one small. Both never hurt anybody and live with 4 kids, including special needs kids. They just bark at the door like most dogs I've met.

If people are that scared of dogs, that they can't come to my door with a parcel, surely they are in the wrong job? If the dogs were on my doorstep with teeth showing I'd totally get it, but surely once I've said they are shut in the kitchen that should be enough??? My mum hates dogs and doesn't go near them, but I shut them in the kitchen and that's the end of that. She was bitten by a dog years ago and I totally understand it.

Aibu to think this woman is in the wrong job???

One of those I think you’re both a bit unreasonable.

You’re unreasonable to think she’s necessarily got a lot of choice over she does. It might be the only thing she can get just now.

She doesn’t know your dogs haven’t hurt anyone. You know that because you know them, but that’s not something she is aware of, so she’s not going to react in the same way.

Also, they have insane workloads this time of year, so not coming down your drive might have been about that not the dogs.

But she was very U expecting you to come out in your bare feet in the winter!

I agree with you but many won't.

Dealing with dogs should be part of their training.

Silly - she said it was about the dogs and made things take longer as I was reluctant to come out and she wouldn't come to me, so there was a period of nothing being done as neither of us were coming out. It's only a driveway the length of a car but she had gone back out and over next doors driveway and was shouting to me.

Silly - also I know she doesn't know they don't hurt anybody but she did know they were shut in the kitchen once I had told her that, so surely knew that they couldn't harm her

That’s not how fear works though. The barking scared her and over-rode all the finer thoughts. And she doesn’t know you either, so she doesn’t know you were telling the truth. Lots of people say things like “Oh they won’t hurt you” but then don’t control there animals.

To be honest, you’re now coming across like you’re looking for a fight at all costs, so YABU.

My dog is always put away when a delivery person comes but she'll give a bark when the door goes or when someone's coming up the path (and we've never discouraged that as I like it for safety reasons!). But there are a lot of dogs around here, so this would be a tough round if you were frightened of them! Our old postman in our last house even carried treats for them.

I'd find it a bit strange if someone had run away from the door when it wasn't even open because there had been barking! But I think I'd just feel more sorry for them as it must be a very debilitating fear to have in that line of work and can't make things pleasant. I would expect them to come back with the parcel once I said the dogs were away, though.

To be honest if I was a self employed delivery driver on the terms they get these days I wouldn’t be taking any risks with dog bites, especially on the run into their most profitable time of year.

I have a huge gun dog. Gorgeous boy. He’d lick an intruder to death. No malice in him. I know this. But the random delivery guy who may (or may not) have had a bad experience doesn’t know this.

YABU, OP.

People gotta work, eat, pay bills. It’s no skin off my teeth to keep my dog away from the front door when deliveries come. You have to see it from their side.

This reminds me of when the latch broke on our back garden gate without me realising and it must have blown open in the wind. I told the dog to go in the garden when I saw the postwoman at the next house as I was expecting a parcel. When the door went a minute or so later, I opened the door to the postwoman with my dog sitting quite politely beside her on the doorstep .

Well on the face of it yes you're rifhty. She is in the wrong job.
However It Might have been the only job she was offered. One of the powers that be at the Job Centre could have demanded she applied for this post or They'd have stopped her money. We don't know that, do we. They could have kids to feed and a roof to keep over their heads.

I guess they have many bad experiences with dogs not being shut in the kitchen so I don’t blame her for being cautious. YABU

I've had the misfortune of being bitten on a doorstep. Now if I hear barking when I ring a bell I'm terrified. I've also recently considered delivery work as I was desperate for money.

YABU, how does she know that you really have shut them away? For all she knows, you could be one of those who go "he won't hurt you" etc and then it proceeds to jump all over you. Just control it already!
Anyway.

yanbu- our dpd driver is like this and it winds me up because like you I shut them in which involves me calling the old boy who lays in the porch (so adds an extra 10 seconds)but delivery guy is one of those who will ring, then knock then hammer the door all within the space of a 30seconds. one time he was obviously in a rush and just started hammering the door so I thought it was a proper emergency and ran to the door. when I realised it was just him I was so shocked i actually said alright calm down and give me a chance. he apologised and then gave me a lecture over the dog being "out" as in, in the hallway still not near him but not shut away so I said well don't hammer my door down then and I can put him away first.
the next time he knocked and when I went to the door he was stood by the gate and pointing to the parcel he'd put by the front door. i just roll my eyes if I see a delivery is being made my dpd now.

My friend was a postie. She had PTSD after a huge dog (who waiting for an opportunity to get at someone) pinned her down on her rounds. The owner didn't give a shit. She was off sick for months and couldn't go back to work. YABVU

verb she HAD controlled it

Unfortunately a delivery person doesn't know if there is someone else in the house that might open the door to where the dogs are, not realising they shouldn't, therefore releasing the dogs.

If you have a genuine fear of dogs then it is very hard to think of anything but the dogs.

You don't know why the delivery people are afraid, they may have been in a similar situation then a dog was let loose and attacked them (not saying your dogs would do that), it may be an irrational fear with no outside reason, or something in between.

It is your duty to keep the dogs controlled, which you do, so you do all you can. It is their duty to deliver the items, so they have to work out how to do that. Unfortunately if they can't they are probably the ones who should re-evalute their job, but it can be very hard to get a better suited job. Also, it must not be nice to have to do a job which puts you in situations which make you fearful, so I guess we can have some compassion all around here.

Imagine taking a delivery job, 6 months on that job you get seriously bitten by a dog, do you think you'd still be comfortable in the job after?

Yes, sorry wasn't very clear then, yes she'd shut them away. I meant the delivery driver wasn't to know she really had shut them away though due to too many knob dog owners about who think it's fine to let their dogs do what they like and don't see an issue with them jumping all over people.

Maybe I'm not being clear. I'm not saying she is unreasonable to be wary/scared, but her job is to deliver to my door, no? Rather than make me come out to her, in pjs and bare feet when I'm ill because she doesn't feel happy coming to my door.

If she takes on the job despite a fear of dogs, surely she has to still deliver to my door?

it's the way you said just control it already. I thought that was aimed at the op

Nowaday, people can't always choose their jobs

They may be ordered to take a particular job that is available, or lose their benefits

Yanbu, first del person was being totally ridiculous

So they weren't daft to take a delivery job, just had no choice

Yanbu to expect it delivered to your door, it’s why people order online for home delivery.