The Reason Dogs Are Aggressive At Mailmen (I think)

Gizmo j · Friday at 10:58 AM

I'm 99% sure this is true.

When the mailman is messing with the mailbox, the dog thinks he's trying to open the gate.

The dog starts barking and soon after, the mailman leaves.

The dog doesn't realize that the mailman would have left whether or not it barked at him, the dog thinks he is the reason the mailman walked away.

Now the dog thinks its his job to scare the mailman away every time he comes by.

IronWing · Friday at 11:01 AM

Mail service is communism and dogs are, well, running dogs.

nakedfrog · Friday at 11:29 AM

I don't know how much time you've spent around dogs, but quite a lot of them bark at anyone that approaches the house, not just mailmen. And quite a lot of people don't have gates but still have a dog that barks at mailmen.

lxskllr · Friday at 12:20 PM

It's because dogs are idiots. I've had cats for over three decades, and had innumerable encounters with them in the wild, and I've never heard a cat bark at a mailman or anything else. They're just smarter that way.

sdifox · Friday at 7:30 PM

It's because op was born in 1995

BoomerD · Friday at 8:35 PM

sdifox said:
It's because op was born in 1994

ftfy

BoomerD · Friday at 8:36 PM

lxskllr said:
It's because dogs are idiots. I've had cats for over three decades, and had innumerable encounters with them in the wild, and I've never heard a cat bark at a mailman or anything else. They're just smarter that way.

Ssorry. Dogs are WAY better than cats.

DaaQ · Friday at 10:33 PM

It's because dogs are territorial, but also kinda dumb.
I work a job that puts my into contact with ALOT of dogs. I wear 16" boots to negate the ankle biters.

Mostly, they are a-holes because their owners made them that way. Don't ever turn your back to them, once you do they will advance.

Maybe they can also tell apart A-holes from animal people. Starting from 2007 I have never been bit. I had one close call tho. It was a German Shepard, I had even pet it. It seemed like a friendly dog. UNTIL the owner put it on a chain. Then the schizo came out. It came at me and I put tool bag in between us.

I used to carry a can of the short slim jim sticks. If a dog wouldn't shut up while working. neighbors dog whatever, I'd throw it a beef stick and they would shut up waiting for the next one.

dave_the_nerd · Saturday at 12:17 PM

You have a gate?

It's not complicated. Dogs are territorial. Mail carriers are strangers who are at the edge of their territory and need to be warned off.

You can train a dog to be less reactive in general, and they'll be less likely to go after mail carriers as a result.

DaaQ · Saturday at 1:45 PM

BoomerD said:
Ssorry. Dogs are WAY better than cats.

Dogs are way too needy. Like a clingy girl or boyfriend. You can't leave to go anywhere for a couple days without having to get someone to "check on them". Refill food water bowls and let outside to crap. Most dogs will eat everything you put down for them as fast as they can. And forget it if it's a big dog.

dave_the_nerd said:
You have a gate?

It's not complicated. Dogs are territorial. Mail carriers are strangers who are at the edge of their territory and need to be warned off.

You can train a dog to be less reactive in general, and they'll be less likely to go after mail carriers as a result.

At minimum people should use some kind of restraint. Invisible fences work well even though they maybe frowned upon. The dog will eventually never cross the line even if the shock part is turned off. Fenced in are would be the best. At least you'd know where all the crap would be on the ground.

I work outside and used to have to go into people's homes all the time. Moved into maintenance so it's all outside work. I do have to door knock at times to ask if I can drive around back or how to get in a field ect.

Funny stuff I've seen while knocking on more than a few doors, where the dog/s go crazy at the front window and literally destroy curtains, knock over tables, lamps, and house plants.

BoomerD · Saturday at 4:33 PM

DaaQ said:
Dogs are way too needy. Like a clingy girl or boyfriend. You can't leave to go anywhere for a couple days without having to get someone to "check on them". Refill food water bowls and let outside to crap. Most dogs will eat everything you put down for them as fast as they can. And forget it if it's a big dog.

At minimum people should use some kind of restraint. Invisible fences work well even though they maybe frowned upon. The dog will eventually never cross the line even if the shock part is turned off. Fenced in are would be the best. At least you'd know where all the crap would be on the ground.

I work outside and used to have to go into people's homes all the time. Moved into maintenance so it's all outside work. I do have to door knock at times to ask if I can drive around back or how to get in a field ect.

Funny stuff I've seen while knocking on more than a few doors, where the dog/s go crazy at the front window and literally destroy curtains, knock over tables, lamps, and house plants.

A dog will treat you better than your best friend...a cat will always treat you like you're (at best) a nuisance they tolerate because you feed them.

lxskllr · Saturday at 4:40 PM

My cats worship me, including the one outside that isn't even mine. They don't put up with bullshit. A cat's trust and affection has to be earned.

pmv · Saturday at 10:05 PM

lxskllr said:
It's because dogs are idiots. I've had cats for over three decades, and had innumerable encounters with them in the wild, and I've never heard a cat bark at a mailman or anything else. They're just smarter that way.

Dogs are as dumb as a box of rocks and are completely obsessed with "protecting the borders". You don't even have to approach a dwelling for one of them to go berserk and threaten to '**** you up' - just walking past is sufficient.
(I think it's clear how dogs would vote, if they had the franchise)

Cats are of two types - either scaredy-cats who run away in blind terror at anyone approaching, or cool cats, who just lazily open one eye to assess you before concluding you are of absolutely no consequence and can be disdainfully ignored.

DaaQ · Saturday at 10:17 PM

They will look at you with their ears. Cats that is.

nOOky · Sunday at 10:14 AM

Our mail lady is afraid of dogs. We always have deliveries placed in our detached garage instead of trying to come up to the house, we have 4 large dogs. She knows we have dogs, but tried to place a package at our house and the dogs came out of the house and scared her, so she turned and ran. In doing she says she slipped and hurt her foot, and is suing us for all sorts of claimed injuries. My advice is get a camera that records these areas, and do not put up any signs warning of a dog on the premises. You'll be tacitly admitting that your dog *might be dangerous.

Fanatical Meat · Sunday at 1:30 PM

It’s pretty simple to the dog. Nearly every day this stranger with unknown intentions comes to the house and retreats when the dog barks at them.
To the dog the mail carrier isn’t doing work and doesn’t have a next stop.

Red Squirrel · Sunday at 1:48 PM

Mailman bring bills. Bills mean less money for treats.

The Reason Dogs Are Aggressive At Mailmen (I think)

Gizmo j

Golden Member

IronWing

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nakedfrog

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lxskllr

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sdifox

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BoomerD

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BoomerD

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DaaQ

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dave_the_nerd

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DaaQ

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BoomerD

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lxskllr

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pmv

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DaaQ

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nOOky

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Fanatical Meat

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Red Squirrel

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