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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Dog bit the postie!!

94 replies

NameChange564738 · 31/07/2020 23:46

He’s nearly 10 and hasn’t ever done this before, we’ve recently had a new baby which I’m suspicious has been a contributing factor.

Postie put his hand wrist deep into our letterbox and the dog has bitten two of his fingers. There was quite a bit of blood but it stopped easily.

But.. what the hell do we do? He didn’t give us his name, wouldn’t accept a lift back to office. We cleaned and stopped the bleeding before he left.

What should I do with the dog? I’m shocked, upset, apprehensive about what’s to come.

Does anyone have any experience with dogs biting people?! What’s the outcome?

OP posts:
JacobReesMogadishu · 31/07/2020 23:52

Well you could get a stair gate in the hall to stop the dog accessing the door and prevent it happening again.

I wouldn’t blame the dog, he didn’t know it was the postman, doesn’t mean the dog is vicious and I don’t think the police would be interested in the unlikely event it gets reported. Worse case is Royal Mail refuse to deliver to you.

If I was you I’d be dropping a box of chocolates and a note for the Postman at the sorting office or give them to him.....and explain what steps you’re going to take to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Bunnybigears · 31/07/2020 23:56

It depends on a lot of things, was it an aggressive bite or an accidental playful bite, did he growl a warning before hand? Did the postman seem like he was going to report it?

WeAllHaveWings · 31/07/2020 23:57

Take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again by putting a box or cage to catch post / protect any fingers in the future.

Wait and see if the post office takes further.

Dn's New reactive rescue dog bit a postie when she entered their garden unannounced, thankfully the postie reported but took part of the responsiblity and agreed no further action needed. Dn got a lock for the gate.

chocolatespiders · 31/07/2020 23:58

Get a cage over the letter box to stop it happening again or an outside postbox.

slipperywhensparticus · 01/08/2020 00:00

For a genuine one off I would still vet check make sure the dog is OK

tabulahrasa · 01/08/2020 00:17

It’s pretty common btw, I’ve worked as a courier... lots of otherwise really friendly dogs object to hands suddenly appearing through the door.

If he’s not doing anything else new or worrying, just get a basket for your post, an outside postbox or make sure he can’t get to the door.

I’ve never reported a dog to anyone for it, but I do know they can refuse to deliver your post if they think it’s likely to happen again.

Original poster
NameChange564738 · 01/08/2020 00:35

Baby gate on order, luckily the hallway is pretty long.

Common?! Bloody hell poor posties/couriers. I’ve been mortified all day thinking we’ll have to put him to sleep.

It’s not usual for him to be aggressive but I suppose that’s not true now.. he ran from the kitchen barking (About 8-9m with two corners to turn) which postie said he didn’t hear. He’s 57kg and with a bark to boot, I heard it upstairs and then the ‘ouch’.

He didn’t seem like he’d report it, he said ‘it’s my fault for putting my hand in so far, you’ll get a letter now explaining you need to keep your dog under control’ and then left.

OP posts:
Original poster
NameChange564738 · 01/08/2020 00:36

Also thanks for answering so quick and helping out my mind to rest.

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 01/08/2020 00:40

I would imagine the worst that will happen will be that they refuse to deliver to you , postie was a bit dim to put his hand so far in .

tabulahrasa · 01/08/2020 00:47

“Common?! Bloody hell poor posties/couriers. I’ve been mortified all day thinking we’ll have to put him to sleep.”

You just learn the best way to stick things through so your hand isn’t in like that just all exposed... and to listen for dogs, lol

Cats are worse, you don’t hear them... and they hang on, you’re just stick there with a cat hanging off your hand, rofl. Thankfully that’s rarer.

If it was a repeat offender or bad, I’d just leave a note for the owner - most people seem to not know their dog does it, some just didn’t get parcels if they weren’t in because there’s no way I was putting a card in when there’s a dog throwing itself at the door trying to get the intruder Shock and I do know there are some dogs who’ll try and bite posties even when they’re not at the door, luckily I never had a uniform.

But no, it’s not hugely likely that anything would ever come from it, I mean technically I suppose you could report it to the police, but the most likely outcome would be someone coming to tell you to make sure your dog can’t do it again.

tabulahrasa · 01/08/2020 00:48

You as in delivery person, not sure why you you would report it...

Borderstotheleftofme · 01/08/2020 08:18

I have a dog and an outdoor letterbox and sealed the letterbox on the door.
No worries then.

Chuffingchuff · 01/08/2020 08:24

Our dog always tries to attack the postman so we have a baby gate in the hall to stop him getting to the door. But when we move house which will hopefully be soon, I am considering an outside postbox because I cant stand the barking!!

flibbertmygibbert · 01/08/2020 08:26

How horrible for you. I would be devastated. I would put money on it being because of the new baby. My dog went from a soppy mess to full on defensive mode once I was pregnant and had children. She defends them with her life. It’s very sweet but also hard work and exhausting. A baby gate is a good start but easy to leave open. Get a letter box cage and write a note for outside door saying one is now in place.

GeorgeTheFirst · 01/08/2020 08:27

Can you leave a gift and an explanation about cages/ outdoor box/ whatever you're doing outside today? Marked "for the injured postman"? (Sounds as though you know it was a man not a woman)

Cheetahfajita · 01/08/2020 08:29

Our dog bit me once when I stuck my hand through the letterbox. I was 17 and had been out with my friends, forgotten my key, dog was going mad and I thought if I put my hand in he'd know it was me from my smell and stop barking.

I've still got the scar Grin

Never happened again and he was still the same old soppy bugger until he died.

madcatladyforever · 01/08/2020 08:32

They will take it further I can assure you. Personally I wouldn't put any part of me through a letter box, you do not know what is on the other side.
I used to be quite blase about my patients dogs, I'm community NHS but after being bitten 6 times now and being sick of being told how he/she has never done that before I now take a very strict stance.
I won't even go into a house with a dog running around and those of my patients who are shitty about that we won't visit them again unless the dogs are locked up. They have a choice.
Post staff have the same right, a right to safety when doing their jobs.

Lilmissmissy · 01/08/2020 08:33

Our dog did the same last year, my fault i told him to go get the post (dog of many talents lol) but the post man had half his hand through and the dog caught edge of the posties little finger.
No blood no cut but my god he threatened to stop our post report us you name it.
That night we had a post box put up! Highly recommend.

BiteyShark · 01/08/2020 08:35

I would take steps now. The cage thing is good but might still not be enough for the postie.

I would get an external lockable postbox on the wall.

Skyliner001 · 01/08/2020 08:35

The dog has done absolutely nothing wrong in this case. The postman should not have been pushing his hand in through the letterbox, this is a known thing where dogs can bite! I've no idea how it works legally, but I would definitely guard against it happening again.

Skyliner001 · 01/08/2020 08:37

If it's any constellation my dog goes mad at the postman and if he started pushes his fingers in it would send him insane. 😂

GinnieHempstock · 01/08/2020 08:41

Years ago, I put hundreds of leaflets through doors as a voluntary thing (can’t remember what for now). They gave me a wooden spoon to push them through to avoid this very thing.
All went well until one dog barked and I let go of the spoon.
I always wondered what the owners thought when they came home and found a stray wooden spoon in their hallway. Grin

slalomsuki · 01/08/2020 08:45

We had a dog that didn't like things coming through the letterbox and would jump up as stuff was posted through barking and growling. We have put a metal box behind the letterbox that has a door on it to retrieve the mail but the dog can't get to anything. Said dog lost interest very quickly once they couldn't see what was invading the house.

Heismyopendoor · 01/08/2020 08:55

You sound surprised @Lilmissmissy?

You know you need to stop this OP, you’ve ordered the baby gate so I would explain that to your postie. Whilst waiting for it to come I would recommend keeping your dog in a room when you know your postie is coming. Mine tends to come at 2-3pm every day.

My DH was bit by a dog on his run once or twice. The dog just ran about the street loose every day and the owner didn’t care that is kept attacking DH. In the end he refused to deliver mail to the entire street until it was sorted. Everyone had to collect their mail from the sorting office. This was about 20 years ago.

Lilmissmissy · 01/08/2020 08:56

@Heismyopendoor surprised at what?

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