Postie not happy with ChenDog

[SirChenjins]

ChenDog can be fear reactive - it's very random and we can't always predict who he'll bark at. He's kept on-lead in busier areas for that reason and I usually walk him in quieter areas. However, he does bark when people come to the door, so when we get a delivery or the postie arrives he barks at the door, and then I tell him to go in the living room which he does immediately. I always shut that door before opening the front door. Dog is a small cockapoo.

The postie was coming up the driveway yesterday as I was putting ChenDog in the car - ChenDog started barking, so the postie waited at the end of the driveway and I closed the car door on ChenDog. All good I thought - but then the postie was quite huffy with me, telling me that "your dog really doesn't like me, does he". I apologised, but I'm not sure what I can do - I always, always make sure he's in the living room when there's anyone at the front door and the garden gate is always kept locked. I do get it's not nice - I delivered newspapers as a teen and was a relief postie one year as a student, and had my fair share of barking dogs - but has anyone done anything with their dog to stop the barking at delivery people?

He’s just doing his job - protecting the den and pack by deterring intruders who might steal the food!
He’s not actually touching the postie, is he? It’s just a sound. Hadn’t occurred to me to apologise to delivery people about LittleDog’s ‘welcome’ 😬

I think posties really need to be a little more tolerant of barking dogs… they’re noisy but harmless.

TBH, I kind of thought the same - but the postie (who's our regular postie, has been for a long time) was very obviously not happy. It wasn't said in a light hearted way so I immediately apologised, but actually I like knowing that someone is at my door - he's a great dog, but I wouldn't expect him to know the difference between a Royal Mail employee and a would-be thief.

My dog barks a greeting when people come to the door but then she treats everyone - no exceptions - as if they're her favourite person in the world. Now, this is lovely - but if we had burglars, it's 100% definite she'd cover them with kisses and then lead them to the valuables.

Your dog is not hurting the postie and having a "guard dog" is no bad thing.

Statistics afe that an average of 42 postal workers are bitten by dogs every week. Many through letter boxes

I think they have the right to be wary.
But you are doing what you can.

It is an issue though.

From the link below.

"– Royal Mail reports 2,197 dog attacks on postal workers.
– Urges displaying “I have a dog” signage for safety.
– Attacks lead to delivery suspensions if dogs are unrestrained.
– Sheffield has the highest increase in dog attacks reported.
– Safety training and community cooperation emphasized for prevention."

Royal Mail Reports Alarming Spike in Dog Attacks on Postal Workers: Urges Safety Measures (uk-safety.news)

Note: I have no strong opinions. Was just browsing MN, saw the thread and remembered the story.

I also remembering delivering papers as a kid :-)

I wouldn't worry too much about it, isn't it part and parcel of the posties lot? (see what I did there)? As long as its just barking and Chendog isn't mauling his arm off.
We have a cockerpoo, he does little whines to tell us the postie is at the door. If we see him in the street he tries to love bomb him, as he does everyone.

Your dog was barking at someone on your property. It's what dogs do. Your postman is a being silly to take it personally.

I wouldn't worry. Maybe he's had a bit of a bad experience, maybe not. Maybe it's his way of making small talk... who knows. Sounds like you're being responsible.

Our postie is really wary of dogs. Not so much an issue with ours as she ignores him but I know he was really badly bitten, needed multiple surgeries and was off work for a year so hardly surprising that he flinches when a dog barks at him. Maybe your postie has been bitten previously and barking makes him really anxious.

I can understand that he may have been bitten before which is why I apologised - I once got my fingers nipped when I posted a newspaper through a letterbox so I am symapthetic.

It's good to know that I'm not missing anything and that it's normal behaviour. I'll obviously continue to manage it very carefully - it's just so engrained now that Chendog knows he can bark at the front door when the doorbell goes and as soon as I open the living room door he takes himself off into that room - he knows the rules.

Our lovely postman is currently off work for several weeks recovering from a dog attack. Maybe you could invest in some treats for your postie to offer ChenDog so that he starts seeing him as a friend? As for not training the dog out of the annoying habit of barking at visitors because you "like knowing when someone is at the door"... get a Ring doorbell!

We got an outside post box when we had similar issues. Our postie knows our dog quite well and knows he’s just overly excited.
but out of respect for him and the dog we find the post box works well.
if I’m comi back from a long walk and see him, I always give him a treat to give the dog.
They have a lovely relationship, and the few times he has to knock on the door for a delivery, I just put dogs slip lead on.
we can’t shut him in another room because he can open any door!!

@TheOccupier It isn't an annoying habit for the OP.

One of mine barks at the doorbell. I'm more annoyed by the one who barks at bird sounds on the TV. 😂

Also, it's not a good idea to get strangers to give fear reactive dogs treats. It makes the dog conflicted and is more likely to result in a bite than the OP putting her dog out of harm's way.

@TheOccupier we have a Ring doorbell, but unfortunately that hasn't stopped our dog from barking, plus I don't always hear the notification.

I think delivery people are wary of dogs sometimes your dog barking is just a talking point i think, just laugh it off as the dog is a pain in the neck !

My dog goes absolutely spare at the postie, and delivery drivers he will like yours go into the living room when asked but my god he likes to shout about it! I have trained mine to collect the post but not when he is barking he has to calm down first.

I said exactly the same to the postie - once I had apologised I said the dog was a pain in the neck! Mine can be quite shouty for a small dog - he can also be your absolute best friend once he's got to know you and decided you're OK. Perhaps he's more like his owner than I like to admit...

The barking can go right through you sometimes and can put me on edge, .mine isn't really reactive outside tbf so that must be hard on you.

Perfectly reasonable of the postie to be wary- he doesn’t know which dogs are likely to bite and which aren’t. Dog bites are a serious risk for postmen.

I would let your postmen know that you always shut your dog away before opening the door. That’s more likely to reassure him than telling him your dog doesn’t bite.

you could (with the Posties permission) practise introducing the dog to him/I did this with my Rottie. You could also practice putting things through the letter box and have someone praise the dog for not responding.

Around 2200 postmen a year get attacked by dogs and around 200 a year get their fingers bitten off. You can forgive them for being a bit jittery.

You are correct. Much more reassuring.
Ex postie here, bitten on two separate occasions by dogs whose owners said, “it’s fine, he doesn’t bite!” just before their dogs bit me. Of course they don’t bite their owners, they love their owners. For Posties, not so much love there.
Of course dogs are going to bark, but of course delivery workers are within their rights to be cautious.

He already knows - he's been delivering our mail for longer than we've had the dog (dog is 5) and we have a glass window in our front door so he watches me put Chendog in the living room before I open the door. They both know the routine and know I don't deviate from that.

Honestly, the postman needs to get a grip. It's a dog barking from a safely contained room on its' own property, ffs.