The mailman/woman

[mrose_s]

Our mailman...actually, mailwoman is a poor old thing...
the dogs in our town really do hate her. I think its because of this...

This big loud motorbike (our dogs have never benn near one at home because we've never had one) comes up to OUR yard, and a claked fugure sticks her hand in and leaves a mysterious object behind...

they really dont like her... I cant go out there when she comes around any more becasue she asks us to put something up on our fence to stop them from trying to bite her... but it is a good fence, and the little one can get out anyway and she doesnt leave...

now they are all relaxed again because she's gone...

 

[CreatureTeacher]

Mailmen really take it in the shorts from dogs. At first, I think it's just a response to an odd-looking neighborhood invader. But I think it turns into a fun game after a while. This person comes, the dog barks maniacally, and the person leaves! Yay! Big dog, scared the bad mailman away. (When actually he was just done delivering the mail.) The principles of reinforcement in action. We got a "dangerous dog" notice from the post office once. I confronted this mailman (he was a real jerk) and asked him what on earth my dog had done to be classified as dangerous. You know what his answer was?? "He's a doberman." Yes, SHE was a doberman, and that mailman was a canine racist!! So I feel your pain!

 

[Doggonecrazy]

I can see both sides of the issue because I was dog bait (a letter carrier) for 15 years. You are absolutly correct in your thinking that the dog gets to feeling superior about chasing the intruder away! I made it a point to get to know the dogs on my route and spent some time patting and talking to them. I carried cookies but didn't give them out every day and the dogs never got bent because they never knew when one was coming. It didn't work with all of them....a particularily nasty one actually chased me and I ended up on the roof of my car! That would have made quite a picture! The extra time and effort it took to get to know my canine customers paid off because I never got bit. One of the first people I introduced my dogs to was my mail man here at home and The Bears all just love him to bits!