How do you stop your dog eating the post??

[JulietBravoJuliet]

Getting very bored with soggy letters and teeth marks in everything!

I can't have a cage thing on the back of the door as the letterbox is very low down and the door is kind of set into a recess so no room at all. Can't have an external post box as it's a listed building in a conservation area and it's not allowed. Nowhere to shut the dog away as the house is completely open plan. The vast majority of the time, I'm at work when the post comes, but it's just come early and the dog goes absolutely ballistic and I couldn't intercept her charge to the door.

So what training exercises can I do to calm this down? I always have to walk round the house collecting soggy letter, but it's only sitting here today that I've realised just how crazy she goes when the postie comes!

Watching with interest, sympathy and soggy shreds of post!

I may be wrong here but i would think you have to train her as the post is arriving. Maybe get her on the lead with really juicy treats when you know the postie is coming and treat her for paying attention to you as the post arrives. Or train her to go to bed as the post arrives? You may need the help of friends who will pitch up and post things through your door so you can work on it.

How about sellotaping a bag around the letter box, I did this as I was waiting on passports and didn't want to chance them being chewed. I now have a cage thing but I see that's no help to you.

Could you hang a thick curtain over the door? Then the sound of the postie might get muffled a bit and the post would be dropped behind the curtain and you might stand a chance of getting to it before she does.

It depends how good your dog is at negotiating her way behind a curtain though. Some dogs could do it, others couldn't.

I realised yesterday that our dog has now outgrown post-nabbing.

It only took two years, if that's any consolation ...

Can you fit a stairgate at the door ? Or buy a snailsack. Place a as tic box marked post outside, depends on how safe you think it would be from thieves.

Can you guess we have just been through this

Thanks for the answers :) A stair gate is out as I wouldn't be able to open the front door; tried that one already! The problem with popping her on the lead when the post comes is that it generally arrives at lunchtime and I'm always at work. It's very rare that I'm actually in to witness her eating everything!

I've got a curtain up already as the door is very draughty but she just goes round it. I may try a box of some description outside as there's no chance of theft. In my sleep deprived state, I hadn't even thought of that! May have to tape my letterbox over though as my postie doesn't seem to have the sense she was born with sometimes, and has, in the past, completely ignored requests to please not put packages that feel like xbox games through into the dogs mouth, but leave them under the car instead (secure, locked car parking area outside my door, so no one can get in).

I shall hunt for a suitable box :)

put one of those postboxes on your wall instead of using the letterbox? Can you shut a door to the hallway so they can't get to the door?

without meaning o sound smug, im not sure what else as my dogs have never chewed the post.

something like this? www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1415450.htm

Juliet - you need one of these

Juliet has said in her OP that the door can't take a cage on it and that she can't have an external one as it is a conservation area.

Oops. Sorry. Should slow my speed reading down

Our neighbour has a normal as tic you box with a brick in top so it doesn't blow away. She spoke to postie and told him this is where the post goes. She has 2 parson Jack Russell's and they can eat the post before it leaves the posties hand

As tic ??? That was toy box !!! Autocorrect

I use a portal stairgate that is just pressure mounted against the walls further down my narrow hallway. I also move it between door frames or across the bottom of the stairs as you can adjust the width of it quite quickly and easily.
I was contemplating one of these or if money was no object

What about a new front door? External letterbox thing on the door?
Otherwise I'd suggest something like the Americans always have on films. The postbox on a stick.

If it helps I also have teeth holes in some of my post. I've also had a note on my letters that he pushes the post back out and the postman has to keep pushing it in. Hilarious.

Not allowed a new front door as it's a mill conversion and all doors and windows have to remain original. Not even allowed to paint them a different colour!! There's literally nowhere to put a stair gate; my front door leads into the hall - stairs straight ahead, hall leading to bedrooms and bathroom to the right of the stairs. Upstairs is the kitchen/living/dining room. Stairs are really wide and gates just don't fit.

I'd love one of those American style post boxes, may have to invest! Or move house lol

Ooh I love that free standing gate on the Orvis website :)