Why do dogs hate mailmen?

Question

i mean my dog just hates everysingle one that has ever come by our street.
is it a smell they have on them or something?
my dog gets vicious when they come. and she normally is never vicious.

she can see the truck from down the street and shes already getting angy.
also she has tried to get the mailman 2 times already so we were forced to use a mail box. she still barks.

Answer 1

Ok, here it is:

The mailman stops at your house, but he is not let into your house. The dog sees that you or whomever your dog considers the pack leader does not want them there. So they bark. The mailman goes away. The dog sees that he barked, and that the mailman left, therefore, his barking made him leave, therefore, everytime he sees the mailman, he starts barking, and as the mailman goes about his buisness, the dog thinks he's doing his job.

In all actuallity, this is quite healthy for your dog as he sees himself contributing to the pack.

And he hears the truck before he sees the truck. Your dog knows the difference between your car and your neighbor's car. In fact, if you were to find the car that was right directly in front of, or behind your car on the manufacturer's line, he'd still know your car.

Answer 2

i have 3 theories:

1. dogs are territorial, and what mailmen do to do their jobs violates the dog's territory. this is especially true when the mailbox is at the door or there is a door slot.

2. if the dog uses a different bark for mailmen rather than their regular "stranger bark," it is out of fear. mailmen carry big bags and ride big trucks. several of my dogs, for example, freaked out when the mailman, garbage man, or delivery man comes.

3. the dog was never taught that the mailman is not a threat. i had two dogs, both that would freak out when any strangers passed by. when the mailman came one day, i happened to be outside and soothed the dogs as the mailman was there. one dog stopped barking at the mailman from that day forward, and the other dog would do a couple of cursory barks to notify me that the mailman was there (i.e. she then had a "mailman bark."

Answer 3

A mailman once told me why this happens. First, they are carrying a huge bag that makes them look bigger than they are (in other words, they look big and aggressive even if they aren't). Second, the mail carrier also has things in their hand (letters). The dog sees this and often feels initimated by this. I think he'd said something about the uniform too but I can't remember.

By now, your dog knows what the mail carrier is like (having seen them before) and knows they come out of those trucks so she reacts just the same as if the mail carrier approached her.

BTW: the mail carrier also "trespasses" in her territory 6 days a week and she has no control of it.

Answer 4

I've wondered about this for years. I was a mailman, and dogs hated me and attacked me all along my route, and I am a dog person and dogs generally love me as I love them. Per discussions held by mailmen, we came up with our best guess that it is the papers that mailmen are always carrying in their hands as they walk along. This reminds dogs of the newspapers etc. that people whack them with for misbehavior. I didn't realy like this answer though because it happens with dogs that were not trained using newspapers, but couldn't come up with a better answer.

Answer 5

The mailman touches your house every day (for no reason that the dog can see). That is like a psychotic torture. Imagine if everyday someone came up to our car and touched it. hmmmm.

Answer 6

Your dog thinks she's running people away, like the mailman or UPS man, they come and go real quick and she thinks she has run them off.

Answer 7

Please discipline your dog when she reacts excessively. You don't need to hit her, but a stern "No" to your dog, and then demonstrate that the mailman is not a threat by walking up to him or her and saying hello or shaking their hand will help. If she bites the mailman it could cause a *lot* of trouble.

Answer 8

The mail man STOPS at your house. He doesn't just keep right on moving along. And plus its every day. The dogs prolly just wants to know who the heck this man is!

Answer 9

It's the uniform and they're carrying large packets or sticking stuff in mail slots so the dog thinks hey burgar, intruder, someone who doesn't belong.

Answer 10

Dogs are territorial animals, and do not like anyone (human or animal) invading their territory. They also have keen senses of smell, and can probably pick up a whiff of "angry dog" on them.