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???

I understand they might be wary but I think once you’ve opened the door and said they’re locked away they should come to the door, it’s a bit unreasonable of them not to come to the door after you’ve told them. I have 2 dogs and do the same, lock them in the kitchen as they bark although both friendly I know not everyone wants to meet them.

Agree with you. Shutting away the dogs is fine, and polite when people deliver. If you are paid to deliver to people, shouting at them from the end of the driveway isn’t good enough.

It's my dogs house as well as mine and they come to the door with me. If someone refused to deliver something to my house because they could hear them barking I'd complain to their employer, or if they were self employed, to the company where I bought the good from.

My house. My dogs. My door.

YANBU once you had said the dogs were secured she should have continued to deliver the parcel.
If she can’t deliver to a house where she has been told the dogs are a least 2 doors away, then that’s ridiculous!

You could argue that people who have dogs shouldn't complain about the fact that they have to go to the end of the drive if they want to receive deliveries. You expecting them to give up something that pays money to live so that people who have chosen to have dogs are not a bit inconvenienced. YABU.

Stupid to say they shouldn't do the job if they are afraid of dogs! Why shouldn't they! and their fear is very real due to stupid oust owners not controlling their dogs.
Is probably the only job they could get and if they didn't have that job people would moan about people being on benefits.
I know of a dog recently biting a delivery driver due to her dog getting past her at the door (incompetent owner) and her being unable to control it.

DungeonDragon - but surely delivering a parcel to houses is their job description? They must come across an awful lot of houses with dogs, it's not like it's a rare thing

There are risks in most jobs, but surely that's what you consider when applying for a job? The pros and cons, the risks etc?

i'm a dog owner and have had awful experiences with other peoples dogs whilst out walking, so I'm nervous. I don't blame delivery drivers for being nervous, imaging how many poorly controlled dogs they come across in their jobs. More responsible dog ownership is whats required.

OP this is adog thread on MN so it's going to be full of people who hate dogs and think we're always unreasonable. If you're a delivery driver your job is to deliver parcels to people's doors. If you can't do that, get another job. You are not unreasonable.

The op isn’t saying they should have fear of dogs.
She’s saying they need to be able to do their job- which is to deliver a parcel to the door. Not stand in next doors driveway and get the customer to come and get it.

Glazedover except the op did have her dogs under control and told the delivery person that. That is what is U.

Fair enough if the dogs are snarling away at the front door. But if you can’t go to a house when the dogs are 2 doors worth away, then you can’t do your job.

She didn’t make you come out in your bare feet- you chose not to put shoes on!

I think people these days are absolutely right to be scared because far too many owners don't react when their dogs attack. When they approach an unknown door & hear a dog barking, they don't know what to expect in terms of owner control. All they can do is protect themselves.

YNBU I am scared of big dogs and my job is to do in-house quotes for our company.

If there are big dogs the vast majority (of this minority [grin ] tell me the dog is 'shut away in the utility' etc. I am fine with that.

If they were to say 'suck it up the dog is here jumping at you' I am able to refuse the quote and refuse further business for us.

However since you made it quite clear and reassured that the dog was shut away then they should deliver to you.

YANBU. I have two miniatures and I had one supermarket delivery driver act like such an idiot (twice) that I almost made a complaint.

My dogs are smaller than many cats and are kept away from the front door but he made such a fuss that I had to come to the gate and pull my deliveries over. On the second occasion I did actually ask him if he would be able to ask his boss whether he could be excused from delivering to my house because I tolerated his squealing behind the gate on the first occasion but was pissed off on the second. He was being such a drama queen that my neighbour looked out the window, clocked what was going on and rolled his eyes.

I love dogs. Prefer them to people.
YABVU though because not everyone is the same.
And "my house my dogs blabla" makes LH sound like one of those dreadful people you read about on the front page of the Sun who allow their animals to do what they want. That sort of comment goes some way to explain the MN (and not only) attitude to dog owners.

YOU say your dogs are locked up in kitchen
She's had experience where the dogs still came out when someone said that..

YOU say your dogs are just friendly.
Her colleague got bitten by a 'friendly' dog last week.

Thing is, that even though your dogs know and love you, they often can get quite agressive with strangers and especially delivery people. Have a bit of sympathy. Not everyone loves (your) dogs.

DP has been bitten by dogs on three separate occasions whilst delivering parcels. You can’t blame drivers for being wary when some people don’t control their dogs at all.

I volunteer to deliver leaflets for our local councillor. I’ve narrowly missed having my fingers bitten through the letterbox by savage dogs leaping at the inside of the door. I can quite understand why parcel delivery staff are even more at risk and therefore wary. There are a couple of houses I won’t deliver to, as they have aggressive dogs in the front garden.

The engineer that keeps coming out to either the bag of shite washing machine or bag of shite tumble dryer refuses to come in unless my dog is shut outside.

Luckily the weather hasn't been too horrendous. But if I have to phone them out and it's bitterly cold I will be requesting a different engineer. Ddog is a whippet so very thin coated and will really suffer shut outside when it's really cold. He is frightened of dogs, which I understand, but he should maybe reconsider his job as it involves going into people's homes and people sometimes have dogs in their homes.

I do shut her in the living room if someone knocks. But to get to the kitchen they have to go through the living room. Have offered to hold her while he goes into the kitchen but he wants her outside. And am not willing to compromise her well being to facilitate him doing the job he is paid to do.

It would be like a chef refusing to cook meat in a non vegetarian restaurant because he is scared of blood. Or a window cleaner not wanting to use a ladder. Or a doctor having a phobia about people with illnesses touching them.

Reasonable things that you can expect to encounter in your job.

Is it possible to train your dogs so they don't make such a ridiculous row when there's someone at the door?