When Dogs and Mailmen Meet: Preventing Potential Problems

The US Postal Service estimates that over 6000 postal workers are bitten by dogs and injured each year. Pet owners may be responsible for thousands of dollars of medical bills and compensation for carriers that are bitten when delivering mail. Take precautions to protect your pet, your mail carrier, and yourself from bite incidents that can be traumatizing as well as costly.

Many dogs that bite mail carriers have an issue with strangers; this is something that can be prevented and curbed with training. Some training tips that you can use to help your dog include early harness wearing and socialization, such as regular trips to the dog park and getting your pet acclimated to potentially stressful situations. Hire a professional trainer to rehabilitate or re-train your dog to cope with unfamiliar people and pets.

Don't assume that your pet's attitude toward the mail carrier is simply bad behavior. Could there be an underlying medical issue? Pain is a big reason why an ordinarily calm dog might act aggressively or unpredictably; regularly take your pet to get examined by a veterinarian to ensure your pet isn’t experiencing discomfort or pain.

Always watch your pet if they are near the door during mail-time. Use baby-gates or separate your dog from the front of your home during the day. It takes only a moment for a dog to slip by and get loose; don't risk a dog bite or your pet becoming lost in the blink of an eye. Also, remember that a dog at large could create legal issues and hefty fines for the owner.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week occurs during the second week of April and is aimed toward reminding people of the seriousness of this issue. While dogs injure many postal carriers annually, it is estimated that around 4.5 million people are attacked in the US annually. The most common victims are children, seniors, and mail carriers.

If your mail carrier feels uncomfortable or threatened by a dog in your neighborhood, residents can be asked to pick up their mail at the post office until the situation changes. Go ahead and get a post office box to keep your dog and the carrier separated if you feel this is the safest approach to keep both your pet and your postal workers safe.

When a carrier is confronted by a dog that they deem aggressive, they may use dog pepper-spray to fend-off a possible attack. Your mail carrier has the right to use this method to deter a dog that attacks them or attempts to attack them — provided no other people are around who could be hit with the spray. If your dog is sprayed with pepper-spray, keep your pet calm and pour cool water over the afflicted areas for several minutes. If the discomfort or irritation continues, take them to your vet immediately. If you notice an unleashed dog running loose, contact Animal Control. Not only does this action help protect the animal from potential injury, like being hit by a car, Animal Control can help prevent a postal carrier, or anyone, from a nasty bite and subsequent medical issues. If your pet exhibits signs of aggression toward your mail carrier, contact Pet Medical Center of Vero Beach . Our veterinary professionals can identify any issues that could be contributing to this behavior and make suggestions to curb this problem. Don't risk an issue or dog attack; consider these tips and do what you can to prevent problems before they occur.