Does your dog go crazy when a delivery person arrives? Does your house come with a warning to all delivery people? Is this a reputation your dog could do without?

With great thanks to today’s contributor Georgina May, whose dogs Elle and Garbo are proud to have a Postie owner!

“Don’t worry – he/she’s friendly” are usually the words I hear before having to pry a set of teeth off my ankle. Followed by an, “I’m so sorry, I don’t know why he/she did that, they’ve never done that before.”

Try seeing it from your dog’s point of view. The postman (mailman) to them is the most persistent potential intruder. Practically every day this repeat offender in blue shows up at their door trying to get through the letterbox. And up until now their barking has scared them away, but it only takes a parcel arriving to change that. You wouldn’t blame your dog for thinking “Oh no, Mum/Dad what have you done, don’t open the door! Argh now I’ve got to step up my game to see ‘em off, a quick nip to the leg should do it…”

So here’s a few tips on how to make yours and your Posties’ lives a little easier.

When there’s a knock at the door, shut your dog in another room, don’t just let them charge out and hope for the best. If you want to socialise your dog with your postman, talk to the Postie (we don’t bite!), let them know what you’re trying to do and ask them if they mind. Most Posties will be more than happy to help. Then you can introduce your dog in a calm controlled manner, get your postman to give the dog a treat. This will help them (both dog and Postie!) see that they are not a threat.

If your dog is prone to snatching post or chewing it up, put an outside box up, preferably one with a big enough slot for all your cards, as no one likes a bent card. Cages on the back of the door, are fiddly at best, and often fall off. So, pretty much a waste of money.

If you receive a lot of packages let your Postie know of a safe dry place on your property, or a neighbour it could be left with. Boxes of chocolates through the front door could be an irresistible and potentially dangerous package for the most well behaved of doggies.

Georgina x