Dear Mail Carrier,
Please stop and meet my dogs the next time you deliver our mail. They really are quite friendly. Even though Harley looks like this wild crazed fluffy assassin on four legs everyday you step onto our porch…
He’s really a very sweet loving and gentle creature. #honest
Since our mail slot brings you right up to the house, I can only imagine how terrifying it must be when you open it to slip the letters through and they both lose their minds at the door…
Just so you know this boisterous greeting isn’t pawsonal, Harley has had a “thing” for people dressed like you and your trucks his entire life…
The reaction you receive is not your fault. Well, not directly that is.
You see –
Dogs learn very quickly that their barking often makes the intruder go away. This is the case when your dog barks at the mailman. He thinks he is doing his job of protecting his home because when he barks the intruder leaves.
mspca
LET’S WORK TOGETHER –
This may help explain why you continue to experience the same reception all over your route. Let’s work together and perhaps we can teach the Boys to stop barking at you.
While some dogs bark at you because they are fearful, this is NOT the case at our house. They just don’t know you.
This behavior is very similar to Pavlov’s Theory –
- you come
- they bark
- you leave.
It’s a game they play everyday and everyday they win.
How about the next time you come by, we come outside and have a proper greeting away from the house?…
I’ll tell you their names and they can sniff your shoes, your legs and your shorts…
If we do this a few times, I guarantee they will become accustomed to seeing you as friend and not foe. You might even warm up to the notion of petting them…
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT –
From everything I’ve read, there really doesn’t seem to be an easy “fix” to this age old behavior between dogs and mail carriers. Instinctively, they aren’t doing anything wrong – making it unfair to discipline them for their actions.
So perhaps with a little positive reinforcements like, a new friend, will help reduce the stampede to the front door.
I cannot promise the antagonism will disappear completely, between the three of you, but I’m willing to give it a shot to see if we can all be friends…
Sincerely, the lady with the two crazy fluffy assassins.
October 7, 2019
“Why can’t we be friends? Why can’t we be friends? ….
October 8, 2019
I know right? That and the fact that Doodle Dad is not feeling all the marks they keep putting on the restored front door LOL I am going to have to come up with a plan for that shortly.
October 8, 2019
Yep, we get it. We hear the big FedEx or UPS truck coming and we are over the top excited. The guys drop a box on our front step and leave. We always win too. It would be so simple to just meet us and then we wouldn’t care, but we don’t see it happening as they are on tight schedules.
October 8, 2019
This is true Madison – because our mail slots are connected to our front doors here in Charleston, our mail carriers still walk the streets. This is why I think we can meet and greet often to at least curtail some of the chaos every time he walks up the steps. A girl can dream can’t she?
October 8, 2019
We love our mail carrier lady. She gives great ear rubs. But we think she looks like a serial killer from the door until mom lets us out to say hi. Then we realize “oh yeah, it’s you…we love you Miss Cori!”
Your fur-iends,
Sam & Elsa
October 8, 2019
And that’s what I am trying to do now – I want them to acknowledge that someone is coming up the porch, but not loose their ever loving minds because it’s the mailman. I will keep you posted and see how it all pans out. When I am home, I have started to open the door and allow them to say hello, and like you said – they realize who it is and they calm down just a little bit. Time will tell I am sure.
October 9, 2019
Hi Cathy… I stopped reading lots of blogs when Cole passed, too sad… but am happy
to see Harley and Jaxson again! I loved this post. Milo likes our Mailman luckily, and he likes Milo too. Milo, by the way, is our 2 year old standard poodle son. A happy funny active young pup. We moved to Colorado over a year ago now. LeeAnna
October 14, 2019
I was wondering where you were, but I also figured it out. I’m happy to see you’ve resurfaced. Have you started writing again? I hope you will soon, I so adored reading and learning all about your quilting expeditions as well as those treasures of antiques you would find along the way. Happy to hear from you girlfriend, stay in touch when it feels right for you. This is your journey…
October 9, 2019
LOL! Yes, mine also sounds like a crazy assassin…until you see the tail wagging at warp speed. 🙂
October 14, 2019
I’m just trying to help my mail carrier. Sometimes he was looking all crazy trying to run back down the porch steps. So far, we are making progress, it’s slow but it’s progress.