Dog Bites Postie

[Tim'sMum]

Good on the Postie for saving the dog's life. Such a shame he got bitten in the process, but I imagine that the dog was very stressed and panicking...and probably would have bitten anyone trying to help get it off the fence, even an owner.

In a way, I can understand people leaving a dog in the front yard, if they have been robbed at some stage, as it would certainly deter would be thieves, but when a fence is low enough for a dog to leap high enough to get it's collar caught, then a rethink is necessary.

A local house here has a waist high front fence and when I walk past with my dogs I have been caught by the dog living there (if it's in the front yard) going totally feral at the fence. I have avoided that corner for ages. As I hadn't seen the dog for months, I walked past again last week...only to have the dog almost leap the fence in it's frenzy to attack mine. It scared the *&%$ out of me...and my dogs, so I can imagine how a postie feels.

[poochmad]

Well done to the postie for being brave and saving the dog's life. I hope the owner does the right thing and thanks him.

I'm not a fan of dogs being in the front yard - yes I can understand people doing that as a deterrent but there are other better ways to deter a 'would be robber'. I think having a dog in the front yard is asking for trouble - what if a kid put their hand through the fence and got bitten? How are people able to make deliveries?

[daisygirl]

I think my first reaction would have been to save the dog. You cant sit back and go through several scenarios of "Oh what would be the best option if I try this or this or this"

We have our dogs with access to both front and back yard because my old girl that passed away this year was claustrophobic and dug out of the backyard but had no problems sitting all day in the front yard watching the world go by. The back yard is way too boring with six foot wooden fences and cant see anything.

My two new girls do rush the fence a bit if another dog walks by but they dont bark and usually spend most of their time just snoozing in the garden. We have a hedge about one metre high all along for the sole purpose of not letting the dogs get to the actual fence. They can only see out the driveway and a few metres down the other end. If they sit on the deck they can see the whole street.

We have six foot deadlocked gates and NOBODY is coming onto my property without me present. The postie knows to leave a card and the meter readers do a guestimate. My law they only have to read the meter once a year and we usually fluke it that I am home at least once a year when they come calling.

With my old girls we went through several posties over the 12 years and one guy in particular was totally scared stiff of any dogs and would just throw the mail through the fence and onto the ground if the dogs so much as looked at him sideways. Of course they took advantage of him and started running up and down the fence chasing him. The other posties would stop, ignore the dogs with confidence, put the mail in the postbox and keep going and the girls took absolutely no notice of them. It got to the point that the scared postie reported us to his superiors and they parked down the road to watch one day and basically told him that his body language was stiring up the dogs. I would have told him to get a new job if he was so scared as it couldnt have been pleasant lining up for work each day knowing that every second or third house in our area has a dog going crazy at you!!

[DerRottweiler]

Our dog has never bitten anyone. But that does not mean one or two deserved it. Idiots. Acting agressively towards a dog is not a good idea. One guy did that hare - and I was there just in time to call her away. I took her inside and left DH to deal with him because I was pretty angry.

He told DH that he had recently been biten by a Rottie. Gees - I wonder how that happened. He came very close to adding a Dobe to the list that day.

I don't get why people do this.

I recently caught this old lady hitting my dog on the face with an umbrella (which he managed to grab and tear, having been trained to deal with being hit with objects).

When I confronted her, she said she was scared (but she could have easily just avoided him, instead, she aggravated him).

I told her that if she does it again, I'll simply let him out (I won't, but I obviously don't want this lady hitting my dog).

Well done to the postie for being brave and saving the dog's life. I hope the owner does the right thing and thanks him.

I'm not a fan of dogs being in the front yard - yes I can understand people doing that as a deterrent but there are other better ways to deter a 'would be robber'. I think having a dog in the front yard is asking for trouble - what if a kid put their hand through the fence and got bitten? How are people able to make deliveries?

One of my dogs functions is protection- he is trained to do so. This is because I've had someone that tried to steal my cars on two occasions, on the third he was caught red handed, I won't go into details, but let's just say I gave my dog a big juicy steak that night.

Yes I have an alarm system, but that is not an immediate deterent. My dog is only out at night, or when nobody is at home.

[Tralee]

... How are people able to make deliveries?

I don't want people on my property when I'm out.

Arrangements for delivery, or collection, if you have dogs, is not just prudent; in the long run it may well prove extremely economical.

If its not worth the effort, then exactly that, its not worth the effort.

[Dobeliscious]

Oh boy the poor postie and I'm afraid to say I would have been bitten on the face too trying to get him off the fence, I'm sure I'm not the only one here either.

[LizT]

I would had done the same if I were in his shoes.

I have heard lots of stories from posties I used to work with about dog attacks. It is very frustrating.

I wonder...Would it be against rules to put a collection card in their letterbox, instead of going to the door?

Yes, you can "card" parcels if there is a problem. OH just write "Dog unfriendly", and makes a mental note to himself. Problem is if it's a new place he hasn't been or sometimes the dog wasn't at large the last time he called there.

[LizT]

Our postie NEVER comes in to deliver. I ALWAYS have to front up to 15min+ queue to collect. I guess they do that to everyone - thus the 15min + queue.

They USED to toot the horn and wait for abit for us to get out there. But they don't even do that now.

Our dog has never bitten anyone. But that does not mean one or two deserved it. Idiots. Acting agressively towards a dog is not a good idea. One guy did that hare - and I was there just in time to call her away. I took her inside and left DH to deal with him because I was pretty angry.

He told DH that he had recently been biten by a Rottie. Gees - I wonder how that happened. He came very close to adding a Dobe to the list that day.

As for the brave resucuer - I would have saved the dog too. But not at the cost of injury to myself. Waiting a bit for it to lose consciousness would have made the exercise a lot safer. I know - it is cruel, but IMHO human safety comes first and the dog still would have been ok, if a little bruised.

I think most people would not know if the dog had just lost consciousness or been in real peril and close to death and would have ended up being bitten as well.

[LizT]

I am a postie, and some posties are 'dog people' and some aren't. We are given instructions on how to avoid dogs (put your bike between you and the off-lead dog, how to read their body language, etc)

And I , like many others here, would have done the same thing and tried to save the dog.

And I know other posties who have been bitten and some of the time it's the postie who has been teasing the dogs, and the dogs finally got loose and got their revenge.....

Well done to that postie..

Oh, you would also know the perils of dogs on the road chasing bikes......we've had a couple of very nasty injuries

(falls from bike) due to that one.

[LizT]

I too would have saved the dog and can understand the dog in a panic biting. I guess this gets reported and the dog classified as menacing?

NZ posties and meter men obviously went to a different school to aussies posties. My dogs are only out the front when I am home and all the postie would have to do is toot and I would come out but no he wanders through the dogs with no apparent concern. Fortunately it is only when I have parcels to be delivered so I can usually avoid it.

My meter man is also brave to the point of stupidity. The meter is out the back in the dog yard. My account clearly reads do not read, gate is locked from the inside and fences are nearly 6 foot and yet I still get read meters.

Does he come in still or is he just "estimating"which is something I believe they do with a "do not read' order??

[LizT]

... How are people able to make deliveries?

I don't want people on my property when I'm out.

Arrangements for delivery, or collection, if you have dogs, is not just prudent; in the long run it may well prove extremely economical.

If its not worth the effort, then exactly that, its not worth the effort.

In this day of Internet Shopping so many parcels have to be signed for and people just are not at home the way they used to be, most families have two working partners....and yet you would be amazed how many people "crack it' when they have to go and collect from the P.O. !!

[LizT]

When I had 5 Rotties, the local postie used to stop his bike and come and feed then Schmackos through the gate... the barks mine used to make when he was coming were very excited and happy ones... lol!

I applaud the postie who saved the dog, and sincerely hope that the owners of said dog come to the party to cover his medical costs, and give him a huge thank you for saving their pet from what could have been a slow and painful death.

T.

LOL My Postie used to do this years ago with my now deceased German Shepherd when he was a youngster.

I was wondering why we were have so much trouble with "food refusal" in obedience training!!!

[LizT]

Our dog has never bitten anyone. But that does not mean one or two deserved it. Idiots. Acting agressively towards a dog is not a good idea. One guy did that hare - and I was there just in time to call her away. I took her inside and left DH to deal with him because I was pretty angry.

He told DH that he had recently been biten by a Rottie. Gees - I wonder how that happened. He came very close to adding a Dobe to the list that day.

I don't get why people do this.

I recently caught this old lady hitting my dog on the face with an umbrella (which he managed to grab and tear, having been trained to deal with being hit with objects).

When I confronted her, she said she was scared (but she could have easily just avoided him, instead, she aggravated him).

I told her that if she does it again, I'll simply let him out (I won't, but I obviously don't want this lady hitting my dog).

Well done to the postie for being brave and saving the dog's life. I hope the owner does the right thing and thanks him.

I'm not a fan of dogs being in the front yard - yes I can understand people doing that as a deterrent but there are other better ways to deter a 'would be robber'. I think having a dog in the front yard is asking for trouble - what if a kid put their hand through the fence and got bitten? How are people able to make deliveries?

One of my dogs functions is protection- he is trained to do so. This is because I've had someone that tried to steal my cars on two occasions, on the third he was caught red handed, I won't go into details, but let's just say I gave my dog a big juicy steak that night.

Yes I have an alarm system, but that is not an immediate deterent. My dog is only out at night, or when nobody is at home.

I knew someone years ago who trained Rotties for Security purposes.

I dropped into their place for the first time unannounced, not realising that there were dogs "patrolling" or what he did for a living. The dogs 'baled me up" , I spoke gently, averted eyes and walked past them to the back of the property. When his wife saw me she was very surprised and asked "How did you get past the dogs?" Her husband grinned at me and just said "Some people can". I used this technique many times while being caught by surprise when doing the Census. Many a head down and slowly back away used then!

[Tralee]

... How are people able to make deliveries?

I don't want people on my property when I'm out.

Arrangements for delivery, or collection, if you have dogs, is not just prudent; in the long run it may well prove extremely economical.

If its not worth the effort, then exactly that, its not worth the effort.

In this day of Internet Shopping so many parcels have to be signed for and people just are not at home the way they used to be, most families have two working partners....and yet you would be amazed how many people "crack it' when they have to go and collect from the P.O. !!

Idolatry takes many forms. Alive but not living.

[LizT]

i hope the injured postie is told of our support and our thanks for saving that dogs life. I dont think the dog meant it, but the owners of the house should also be informed of the incident so that they have the option of rectifying the situation.

I'll make sure he is, he'll be chuffed!

I'm pretty sure it ws a fear attack, the poor dog probably thought this stranger was going to "finish him off" while he was vunerable!

[DerRottweiler]

lol

You need to learn to multi-quote cuz. Assuming you don't prefer single posts.

Click the '+quote' symbol you see underneath each individual post you want to quote, once you have selected all the posts you want to quote, click ADD REPLY down the bottom...and there you have it, a single post, quoting many posts.

[LizT]

... How are people able to make deliveries?

I don't want people on my property when I'm out.

Arrangements for delivery, or collection, if you have dogs, is not just prudent; in the long run it may well prove extremely economical.

If its not worth the effort, then exactly that, its not worth the effort.

In this day of Internet Shopping so many parcels have to be signed for and people just are not at home the way they used to be, most families have two working partners....and yet you would be amazed how many people "crack it' when they have to go and collect from the P.O. !! ;)

Idolatry takes many forms. Alive but not living.

i hope the injured postie is told of our support and our thanks for saving that dogs life. I dont think the dog meant it, but the owners of the house should also be informed of the incident so that they have the option of rectifying the situation.

I'll make sure he is, he'll be chuffed!

I'm pretty sure it ws a fear attack, the poor dog probably thought this stranger was going to "finish him off" while he was vunerable!

lol

You need to learn to multi-quote cuz. Assuming you don't prefer single posts.

Click the '+quote' symbol you see underneath each individual post you want to quote, once you have selected all the posts you want to quote, click ADD REPLY down the bottom...and there you have it, a single post, quoting many posts.

;) Yah. I did it! Thanks. Although single posts could be the personal touch. heheheh

Still needed my daughters help doing it though. :D

BTW. Spoke to postie this morning and dog was stuck by leg not collar and he was a small cross breed terrier type. Postie not angry and not following it up with owners. Which he should (IMO) but he figures they weren't home at time as they surely would have heard poor dog, as he was sreaming".

Dog settled and was quite as postie lifted him off fence but took a swipe as he passed mans face.

Postie feels it was fear aggression too.

[poodlefan]

If you don't want deliveries to your house, get a PO box.

If you have utilities like gas and electricity your contract of service provides that people may enter your property to read meters.

If you have an issue with that, fence your meters off from your dogs.

Personally, in this day and age, anyone who allows their dog access to their front fenceline is begging for trouble IMO. Too many folk happy to taunt, harm or let a dog out.