Some dogs really hate the mail man. We humans know that the mail must be delivered and that there must be someone to do it. We are grateful for the delivery and often wish that our dogs would feel the same. Some delivery people carry dog treats for the dogs along their route and not all dogs seem to hate them, but many do. The ones that do hate delivery people seem to really hate them fervently.
To get to the bottom of this behavior, we have to think about what it is like to be dog. Here you are, doing your own thing and an intruder comes in. It is wired onto your DNA to be protective because your territory and your family are resources that are valuable to you.
The dog does not really know the mail carrier and may be afraid of him or her. If you watch a barking dog closely, you might see the body language of fear. Fearful dogs can lay their ears back on their heads and pull their lips tightly back. All of their muscles will be tight and ready for action. Frightened dogs are poised to either flee or fight. It may seem odd to a human that a fearful dog appears to act aggressively, but I believe that fear can play a role in this behavior.
Since the delivery person has encroached on your dog’s home turf, he may feel that he must defend it. Depending on your dog’s pre-wired disposition, he might feel that he must submit to the interloper and be afraid of the ensuing tussle.
If you consider that from your dog’s perspective, the mail carrier (that you expect to see every day) has previously been vanquished, but continues to appear. Your dog could feel doubly threatened, offended, and afraid. She might think that the intruder is back because he feels that he has a chance to win this time and takeover your dog’s territory. From your dog’s view, if the intruder takes over the territory and the resources, it will mean certain death.
Do not be upset with your dog for trying to defend her home or for being afraid of someone new. These are natural feelings for her. She can learn that there is no threat, but patient training will be required. To retrain the behavior, you might try to plan to distract your dog at the appropriate time. Cover the windows and provide white noise to drown the sound of their approach. Reward your dog if she is quiet and calm. Teach her to sit when she hears the sound of the delivery arrival and reward her for compliance. Be sure to use high value treats that she wants very much. Make sure that your priority is keeping everyone safe and never punish your dog for acting on her instincts.
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