Does your dog ‘hate’ the mailman?

Everyday your mailperson trudges up your walkway to deliver your mail, and every day your dog goes bananas. It can’t be fun for the mail carrier and it certainly isn’t fun for you. What did that letter carrier ever do to deserve such a reaction every day? A person might think a dog would eventually get used to the mail being dropped off but this is not often the case.

Dogs are naturally territorial and want to protect their space and the rest of their pack (aka you and your family). The first time your pup saw the mailperson, he didn’t know who it was or why they were approaching, so your he started barking. Dogs bark for a variety of reasons and this case he was most likely either sounding the alarm that danger was coming or trying to scare the mailperson away. And lo and behold, it worked! The mailperson went away. Your dog successfully scared off that pesky invader.

Not only did it work the first time, it works every time. Every day the mailperson comes, your dog barks and the mail man goes away, so your dog keeps doing because he is successfully protecting his house and his family.

For some families the daily barking becomes a problem rather than an annoyance. If the mailperson tends to come around the kids’ naptime, for example the barking can really ruin an afternoon. The solution could be as simple as closing the curtains at the front of the house so your dog can’t see the mailperson coming. But it is also possible to work with a dog trainer to resolve the problem. And if you are getting rude notes from your neighbors about your crazy dog while you are at work, consider a dog walker or doggy day care so your pup can be out having a good time, instead of being on guard all day.