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San Diego Humane Society

Safety: Mail Carrier Dog Bite Prevention - for Dog Owners

Receiving mail and package deliveries means people on our property often and this can prove challenging for our dogs! There were over 5,300 dog bites to USPS mail carriers in 2022, 39 of which occurred in San Diego. That’s a lot of stressed pets and people. How do we help our dogs reduce their stress, while also keeping our carriers safe?

Outside the home:

  • For the carrier

    • Make it clear there are pets living at the property. This might include:

      • Signage

      • Pet items readily visible — toys, bowls, housing, etc.

  • For the pet
    • Reduce access to areas carrier needs to move through to deliver mail.
    • Keep pet in a back yard, enclosed dog run, or indoors. 

 

  • Additional management:
    • Can you move the location of the mailbox, or add one further from where the dog might have access (visual, auditory, or physical)?

Inside the home:

  • For the carrier

    • Do not open door to retrieve mail/packages until the carrier has left the property safely. Some pets perceive direct interactions with a carrier as threatening, especially if being handed strangely shaped or large objects.

    • Keep pets away from the front door, ideally in a crate, or behind a barrier or closed door. Even typically social pets can get overexcited or anxious in these situations and bites may occur due to high arousal rather than aggressive behaviors. Some more anxious pets will even attempt to break through screens or other barriers to reach a carrier if a door is opened while they are present.

  • For the pet
    • Reduce over stimulation by reducing access to the front of the home (or wherever mail is delivered) during the everyday or otherwise expected delivery times. This can include:
      • Closing blinds or windows to reduce noise or visual stimulation.

      • Keeping the pet in another room away from the front of the home.

      • Keeping the pet engaged with an enrichment activity/toys/training/interactions.

      • Training skills like mat work and the Look At That game can reduce excitement.

Managing the situation:

  • If you learn or suspect that your dog might be struggling with the arrival of the carrier, look into management options beyond what we’ve already discussed.
    • Sign up for Informed Delivery so you can set up precautions before a package arrives.

    • Can you change the location of the mailbox or does it make sense to get a P.O. Box

    • If you have a regular carrier, ask them if they’ve observed any concerning behaviors.

    • Unsure how your dog handles stress when you’re gone? Set up a camera in the home! This helps you better understand their behaviors and experiences while alone.

  • Friends, family, or pets visiting? Ensure they all take the same precautions!
  • Ensure pets are not roaming free in the neighborhood or have the ability to escape a yard — they are often capable of more than we give them credit for, especially when stressed. Mail delivery may be interrupted or unable to occur if a dog is loose in a yard or neighborhood and a carrier feels threatened in any way.

How San Diego Humane Society, or your local shelter, might be able to help:

  •  We’ve got educational resources!
    • Look for flyers in the mail with tips for carrier & pet safety.

    • Educational seminars focused on helping reduce stress in regard to our pets’ interactions with people who pass, approach, or enter our homes.

    • Training classes that help minimize reactivity in the home and behaviors like door dashing (such as our online classes, Reactive Rover: Mat Work or Redirecting Excitement). If not working with San Diego Humane Society, be sure your trainers are using positive reinforcement-based methods to appropriately reduce and modify undesired behaviors! Need help finding a trainer? Check out our Trainer Directory

Behavior Helpline: Contact Our Behavior Team

For behavior questions, please contact our Behavior Helpline either by calling 619-299-7012, ext. 2244, emailing behavior@sdhumane.org or filling out our Ask a Trainer form. San Diego Humane Society adopters can fill out the Post Adoption Consultation form to schedule their troubleshooting session. We aim to respond within seven days, but responses may take up to two weeks. Thank you for your patience!

Note: Due to the potential for serious injury, canine and feline aggression are best handled by a professional who specializes in aggressive behaviors. Because phone or email counseling is inadequate for addressing serious behavior concerns, we ask that you contact a qualified professional for help. Please refer to the list of behavior resources here.

Questions About Public Classes

San Diego Humane Society offers training classes and resources to address a variety of needs for companion animals.

Our training philosophy is based on the behavioral science concepts of positive reinforcement. Training your pet using these concepts will not only help them learn new behaviors more quickly, but it will also strengthen the bond you share.

Please visit our website for a current schedule of training classes or call 619-279-5961. 

View Training Classes   Gift a Training Class

 

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