A few years ago our mailman opened the screen door to our neighbor's house and accidentally let out his boxer. That dog was as friendly and playful as the day is long and began jumping around wanting to play. The mailman dropped his bag and took off running which encouraged the boxer to chase him. Eventually the boxer grabbed the mailman's arm and wouldn't let go until the owner caught up with them and ordered it. The bite caused nerve damage but the homeowners insurance covered it. Then the neighbor got notice from the insurance company to either get rid of the dog or lose their coverage. It was so sad because any dog person would have recognized this dog's playfulness and react accordingly. Fortunately the dog was very popular with our neighbor's friends and found a great home where they could visit him.
When the mailman came back to work he was obviously terrified of dogs. He would approach our house like it was about to explode because he knew we had Ivan, our big ol dufus GSD, that would bark when he approached. The mailman was traumatized and from that point on I suspect he would do anything to keep any dog away from him. I don't think it is fair to suggest he move to a different field since there are pension benefits he would forfeit but I do think the postal service should provide more training to their carriers about approaching dogs and recognizing behaviors. It would benefit them so much to be able to interpret body language of dogs.
The situation in this thread just upsets me so much! That poor little thing didn't deserve to be treated in that manner. Especially since the mailman knew the dog lived there and had never, I assume, had a problem with it.
He over-reacted and should be held accountable. I'm so sorry for the owners. |