# Mail Carrier 'Making Friends with' My Dogs



## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I found out today that our mail carrier has been throwing cookies over my fence/into my kennels every day in order to 'make friends with [my dogs] so they don't bark at [her].' I would really prefer that she didn't, but what's even more alarming to me is the fact that the dogs are more than willing (at least now, from what she says) to take the treats. She said at first, they weren't 100% sure, and would eat the cookie and then continue barking at her, but now they scarf them right down with tails wagging. 8-[

My husband was off from work today and had to run something out to her that needed to be mailed, and this is when she told him she'd been doing this, and of course he doesn't realize how potentially dangerous this can be, so he didn't say anything to her about it. I've never met her before, and I don't want to come across as rude, but the only thing I can think of to do is to write her a little note and leave it in the mailbox and hope she doesn't take it wrong. 

Then there's the issue of whether or not to teach the dogs not to take food from strangers or whatever. #-o


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## Julie Blanding (Mar 12, 2008)

Argh!!! I would be pissed off. Who cares if they bark in the kennel at her...She is there for what? 60 seconds?

Kristen: I would just explain the dogs have very specific dietary needs, food allergies, and/or feeding times... something like that... and you would prefer not to have ppl give them treats as it screws up their GI tract.

Maybe that would work.. Good Luck.
Let us know how it goes
Julie


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## Alex Corral (Jul 10, 2007)

Yeah, I would be pissed too. That's rude (in the dog world at least). I would preferably tell her, but leaving a note with that info is good too.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I don't blame her. I'd hate to be a mail carrier, always thinking of the one time the kennel was left open. :lol:

But my dogs are trained about no food from anyone but me or an "OK" from me. 

(It has been proofed only in front of me, though, so I should probably not be too sure about it.)


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

That's just it, though. The kennels are inside my fenced yard. She would actually have to get out of her car and walk 5-10ft off the road (depending on where she stopped) to get to my fence. See diagram below. It's not like she's walking the neighborhood and is afraid my kennels are not secure. 










Also, to be able to toss anything towards where my kennels are, she would have to be right up against the fence.


I have no way of speaking to her personally about it, because I'm never home when she comes, but I think I will leave a note in the mailbox for her that says something to the effect of 'I appreciate that you like my dogs, but I'd like to ask that you refrain from feeding them because they are on a special diet for their health.'


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

So you get a lot of people out at your house chucking food into your dogs kennels ??

Nice sketch by the way, you forgot a compass with directions and which way the wind was blowing.


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> So you get a lot of people out at your house chucking food into your dogs kennels ??
> 
> Nice sketch by the way, you forgot a compass with directions and which way the wind was blowing.


There wasn't any indication of elevations either on the map, you gotta be more specific for people to understand.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

How do you get dogs in such small places like that ?? Are your kennels uneven ?? Maybe this is why she has done such a horrible thing like give your dog treats.

BITCH.


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## Ryan Cole (Mar 5, 2009)

I recently found out a similar thing about the electric meter readers.

After several months, my wife realized we never heard any complaints from them or any phone calls about "we couldn't get access".

A few attempts at research by phone were unsuccessful, but one day I was home when the dude came by, so I just watched out the window.

The guys had a treat bag that he was reaching into and then tossing some kind of doodad out behind the dogs, so they'd turn and go get it, and leave him alone.

I was pissed, but just rearranged some fencing so they could read the meter without dealing with the dogs.

...and I decided that my dogs need REAL training (this happened shortly before I signed up here).


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Ryan, a 'doodad'? WTH?


Please forgive me, Jeff. North is on the right hand side of the sketch. The wind nearly always blows from the NW. My dogs are well within the standard so they have no problems with small spaces. 

Gerry, it's flat, believe it or not. I don't know how many feet above sea level it is, though. I apologize. I'll try to do better next time.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

I am going to take some video of the Mail carrier in my neigborhood...thier is a GSD across the street...the mail man taps on the window to get the dog thier, and daily teases the dog. the dog goes bananas. So, I informed the owner....I was suprised when the owner, really could careless...And this dog has ripped down the blinds trying to get the mail man.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Having had dogs that would pack up and kill someone, or at best, rip body parts off and then run off and play with them, allowing the victim to drag himself to safety, you should just be glad that these people are doing what they are doing.

What, the mail lady is gonna ruin your training ???


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I still have a crushed hard hat from when a meter reader for the electric company swung it at one of my dogs for barking at him. Neighbor lady witnessed it.
Never asked for it back. :-k


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

what in the WORLD is your mail carrier doing stopping to throw treats into the kennels when the frickin mailbox is on the other side of the property???? 

fr the diagram, she has no business anywhere NEAR the kennels. 

personally, i would write (document everything) her mgr requesting she STOP IMMEDIATELY. then i would start proofing the dogs (bill koehler has a good method for poison-proofing dogs if i recall correctly) to not eat ANYTHING that you don't feed them.

this sort of thing just really pisses me off--like when ppl approach me and my dog and decide they can tell him "sit" or whatever--like really, you DON'T train/address my dog damn it. 

pet peeve.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Remind me to do that right away if we ever meet. I love doing that shit !!!!

If you do not train your dog not to eat stuff thrown in, then your misplaced aggression should be re-directed back, not away from you.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

ann freier said:


> what in the WORLD is your mail carrier doing stopping to throw treats into the kennels when the frickin mailbox is on the other side of the property????


She's doing it after putting mail in the row of boxes beside my garage. She pulls forward, gets out of her car, walks over to my fence, and throws the treats. I don't think she has any bad intentions, but she has no valid reason for it.



> personally, i would write (document everything) her mgr requesting she STOP IMMEDIATELY. then i would start proofing the dogs (bill koehler has a good method for poison-proofing dogs if i recall correctly) to not eat ANYTHING that you don't feed them.


I'll start by just leaving her a note in my mailbox and having DH move one of the cameras around to that side of the garage to see if she continues to do it. If she does, then I'll go higher up. 

I really don't want to have to train the dogs not to eat anything that doesn't come from me; what about when I have to leave them at home and have a family member come and take care of them for a few days or a week, or whatever? One would think that if a dog was in a pen inside a fenced yard, people would leave it the hell alone.


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## Eric Read (Aug 14, 2006)

I don't think there's any reason to go postal on the woman. I'd bet she has good intentions, although I wouldn't want someone feeding my dogs without my knowing, she probably just thought instead of the dogs getting all riled up and barking she could quiet them down with a little treat. 

It's probably a favorite stop on her route now. Yes you could get in her face and tell her to stay the hell away, but why get so confrontational and create shit you don't need to? Just tell her your concerned with them taking food from strangers cause you've heard of some poisoning cases or something. 

At worst this woman just doesn't know any better and probably thinks she's doing something really nice. The least you can be is respectful back. If that doesn't work, then get in her face.


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## Becky Shilling (Jul 11, 2006)

> At worst this woman just doesn't know any better


No, at worst, she's setting them up for a burglary.


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

Becky Shilling said:


> No, at worst, she's setting them up for a burglary.


If the dogs are confined in kennels, why bother? Anyone can break in the house and take whatever they want, no problem. Or do you mean the noise issue? How long before the neighbors complain or check it out?

I don't think poison proofing is 100% reliable either - a dog is a dog, and may change his mind when he has all day to think about the nice piece of chicken sitting in his kennel...

Wasn't there a show on TV where the "trainer" sugested the mailman put treats through the mail slot for the dog? I can't remember which one it was, maybe that Victoria woman?


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

> If the dogs are confined in kennels, why bother? Anyone can break in the house and take whatever they want, no problem.


_All _the dogs aren't outside/in kennels. Typically I will rotate who gets run of the yard all day and who is kenneled, and two dogs are in the house all day every day, so no worries about someone breaking in.

Eric, I have no intentions of 'going postal' on the woman. I'll leave a note and go from there.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Just talk to her nicely. Tell her your dogs have allergies and can't have treats.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

OK so let me get this straight, the MAIL carrier is gonna give up her good paying job to rob Kristin, who spends all her money on her dogs, and has such horrible fashion sense that she wears black socks with shorts.

REALLY ??? REALLY ??

You guys are all ****tards, Kristen, give her a key to the fence so she can just walk up and give your dog treats. You say shit, and your mail is gonna be ****ED UP.


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## Jim Nash (Mar 30, 2006)

Honestly I'm reading many of the replies and thinking " What's the big deal ? " . It sounds like she's just trying to be nice . 

I think she should have asked you first . I also think it can be easily solved by politely asking her to stop and if it doesn't talking to her boss should do it . 

She's not teaching the dog to take food from strangers , the dog's got that down already . 

As a Police Officer I haven't seen a trend in feeding a dog as a set up for a burglary but I have seen a trend in people over reacting to common annoyances . People nowadays won't simply and politely ask someone to stop . Instead they call the cops , write letters , complain to bosses or become threating and rude if they do end up having the courage to confront them . 

Kristin your letter to the mailcarrier is a good idea . For me I always perfer the direct approach and that's asking them face to face . Good luck .


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

My mail's already ****ed up, Jeff. We have lived there for 5+ years now and _still_ get mail addressed to prior renters (not even the most _recent_ ones) that lived there before we bought the place, and we get neighbors' mail all the time, too. 

On top of that, apparently she thinks she's in a race with the other mail carriers in the area, because she all but does a burnout as she's pulling away from each mailbox, scattering grass and gravel all out in the road and stuff. There's a lot I _could_ be complaining about with her, but I'm not. 

I'd speak to her in person if I could, but like I said, I'm never home when she comes, so the note I leave will have to do for now. I even invited her to consider being a foster home for one of my rescue dogs since she was so enamored with them. We'll see.


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## Becky Shilling (Jul 11, 2006)

In my neighborhood, gangbangers putting in their twenty hours of work to qualify for their welfare bennies deliver mail. You can bet there'll be trouble if I ever see any of them attempting to feed my dogs.


_Wait! Who is that guy in pants around his hips and a backwards cap in my yard??? Oh, just today's mailman!"_


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

No ****ing way, write your congressman. **** that.


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## Tina Rempel (Feb 13, 2008)

I have one dog with bad enough grain alergies that "cookies" would screw her system up. Believe me it doesn't take much of the wrong cookie with her.....

I also had a elecric meter reader that used to give one of my horses dog cookies when out at the barn checking the meter. Now that one was funny. But he had no food problems.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> You guys are all ****tards, Kristen, give her a key to the fence so she can just walk up and give your dog treats. You say shit, and your mail is gonna be ****ED UP.


Jeff, do you let fear make all your decisions for you?


I think that Kristen can expect a goverment worker to act professionaly. Her job is not to treat the neighborhood dogs. Kristen has the right to leave her dogs in the yard and not have strangers come up and interact with them. Whether anyone thinks it's minor or not, Thier kristen dogs, and kristen's property...so really I think it's her decision to decide how much it pisses her off. Of course it does not bother Jeff, thier not his dogs. Also, I think you can call bullshit on a goverment worker, And do that without fear of reprisal...Because ****ing with the mail is a felony. 

And as for that good paying job,...Well some people are in debt up to thier asses, regardless of thier job. I just had a man whom has the same job I do, making about 70k a year, using goverment property to weigh out drugs, on a military installation...a good paying job does not decide if a person is planning a crime...Jeff has really taken some liberty's about the Mail Carriers intent. and even more on how Kristen should be feeling about the situation...that's a bit arrogant don't you think Jeff. Why? For the simple reason they are mine...if she wants to a dog to feed, she can go to the pound and do it.

Kristen, Though I think a simple chat that sets the boundries with the mail carrier would safice. I do not think that you have walk on egg shells about it. You know if I saw a police officer, mail carrier, the ghost of mother theresa feeding my dogs, I would say...get the **** away from my dogs.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Poor insecure Downey. Did too many people call you fabric softener as a kid ??? Did they call you snuggles the bear ??? Are you afraid that if someone feeds your dog it won't love and respect you anymore ??

You remind me of the guy that won't give up the leash so that you can show him something that will help him, that no matter how much you explain it, he is not getting.

I love their sad insecure little excuses for why they paid for help, but won't take the help. Is this you ???

Quote: For the simple reason they are mine...

For some reason I see you jumping up and down and crying a lot as a child.

By the way, you are overpaid. You should give most of it back.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

Yep...Overpaid...But that's not up to you, and I am getting a raise in June and next July. Cheers. I also get a shit load of time off work, free running shoes every six months, and work out gear and gym membership, A free watch once a year. I am allotted 2.5 hours a day to keep this man in shape. OH and they (and by they, I mean you) pay for my place and my food. On top of all that...my entires family medical is for. I have 2 G.I. Bills...just in case I want 2 degrees, upto 12k a year for tution assitance. and just about every buisness offers a military discount...the list goes on.

And by the way Jeff, I put myself in harms way for the American public more oftern than you think.

But back to the argument....your right I do through a lot of fits, but I think my feelings of entitlement have gotten me a lot.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

You forgot to add know **** all about training dogs.

Quote: And by the way Jeff, I put myself in harms way for the American public more oftern than you think.

Yes, but defined by the coast guard, walking down a busy sidewalk is considered harms way. Look, you are just making my "your insecure" arguement for me.

I find it funny that you think I care. Write Kevin Costner and tell him.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Wow.

I missed all the many pages that have jack to do about the O.P.


So ... back to training the dogs. No one else trains the dogs that their dishes or the owner's hand are their only food sources?

My main reason was the high school a couple of blocks away and noticing the weird stuff that is discarded by teenagers along their way. (Although I had not seen anyone toss anything over the fence, that was my concern.)

I'm wondering, as I mentioned before but still have not done, if anyone has trained that very carefully and then checked on it. Well, I mean I think I have trained it very carefully, but I have seen it in action only when I was there watching.

The mail carrier (who I like a lot and I guess that we are very lucky in my neighborhood, going by some of the posts  ) has tried to give them treats, and the dogs will not take it until he gives them to me and I give them to the dogs.

I know that's not a good test.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

You know, I did do the "only I can feed my dogs" thing years ago, and all I ended up with was dogs that wouldn't eat if I went out of town.

Didn't try to train it that way, but dogs do what dogs do. Had to come back early.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> You know, I did do the "only I can feed my dogs" thing years ago, and all I ended up with was dogs that wouldn't eat if I went out of town.
> 
> Didn't try to train it that way, but dogs do what dogs do. Had to come back early.


I worried about that, so one of the proofs to the "dish or my hand" was having the dogsitter come over before I actually went on the plane, but was out of the house.

I can certainly imagine it backfiring.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Maybe next time maybe I would just train "nothing from the ground." There's no way to hand-feed my dogs from over the fence without tossing something over.

Maybe paranoid, but teenage boys do some strange stuff, and a whole slew of 'em pass by to and from school every day.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Quote: 
Maybe paranoid, but teenage boys do some strange stuff, and a whole slew of 'em pass by to and from school every day.

You mean decoys ??? LOL


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> You know, I did do the "only I can feed my dogs" thing years ago, and all I ended up with was dogs that wouldn't eat if I went out of town.
> 
> Didn't try to train it that way, but dogs do what dogs do. Had to come back early.


You think the dogs would have starved themselves to death before taking food from someone other than you?


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

That reminds me of a local story last year, in Greeley CO I think, where the gsd stayed near it's deceased owner's body for over a week in a field, nearly starving itself.

It's against postal regulations for mail carriers to even carry treats, much less dispense them, but they wouldn't be in any serious kind of trouble if you just request their supervisor to remind them of that.


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Probably a nice lady that likes dogs. Like Susan said, do the allergy thing, simple solution with no hard feelings


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> My main reason was the high school a couple of blocks away and noticing the weird stuff that is discarded by teenagers along their way. (Although I had not seen anyone toss anything over the fence, that was my concern.)


When I first read this I thought you wrote "discharged" and I wondered what the hell kind of weird perv kids lived around you!!!


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Maybe next time maybe I would just train "nothing from the ground."


If you don't plan on doing tracking with your dog.

But then what if they spilled their food bowl when you fed them? :lol:


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Kristen Cabe said:


> If you don't plan on doing tracking with your dog.
> 
> But then what if they spilled their food bowl when you fed them? :lol:


Oh. Uh-oh and DUH because I DO do FST.

Back to the drawing board.


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