The daily arrival of mail and packages may seem routine to us, but for our dogs, it can trigger big reactions! There were over 6, 000 dog bites to USPS mail carriers in 2024, 35 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 mail carriers safe?

Outside the Home

• To protect the carrier:
  • Make it clear there are pets living on the property.
  • This might include:
    • Displaying a sign.
    • Pet items readily visible — toys, bowls, housing, etc.
• To protect your pet: 
  • Reduce your pet’s access to areas the mail carrier needs to move through to deliver mail.
  • Keep your pet in a back yard, enclosed dog run or indoors.
• Mailbox location:
  • Consider relocating your mailbox to part of the property where your pet will have less access (visual, auditory or physical).

Inside the Home

• To protect the carrier:
  • Do not open door to retrieve mail or packages until the carrier has left the property safely. Some pets see direct interactions with a carrier as threatening, especially if you are being handed large or strangely shaped objects.
  • Make sure there is a secure barrier between your pet and the mail carrier. Keep pets away from the front door — behind a barrier or closed door, or in a crate. Even typically social pets can get overexcited or anxious when mail carriers approach the front door, and bites may occur due to high arousal rather than aggressive behaviors. Some 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.
• To protect your pet:
  • Prevent overstimulation by reducing access to the front of the home (or wherever mail is delivered) during 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 redirecting their attention can reduce excitement.

Manage the situation:

If you have a regular mail carrier, ask them if they’ve observed any concerning behaviors. If you learn or suspect that your dog might be struggling with the arrival of the mail carrier, there are additional steps you can take to manage the situation.

• Sign up for Informed Delivery so you can take precautions before a package arrives.
• Consider changing the location of the mailbox or getting a P.O. Box.
• Set up a camera in the home to see how your dog handles stress while you’re away! This helps you better understand their behaviors and experiences while alone.
• Ensure pets are not roaming free in the neighborhood and can’t 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 can help:
We offer training classes that can help minimize reactivity in the home and behaviors like door dashing (such as our online classes, Reactive Rover: Mat Work or Redirecting Excitement). If you’re working with a personal trainer, be sure they are using positive reinforcement methods to appropriately reduce and modify undesired behaviors! Need help finding a trainer? Check out our Trainer Directory.