Making your dog the mail carrier's BFF
How a Junee bone made my dog the mailwoman's cheerleader
I watched her beeline from her crate to the window, then the middle of the living room. As soon as she started hopping up and down like a kangaroo, I knew who was coming up the walkway and to our front door. I heard the jingle of a key unlocking the multi-unit lockbox. Shortly after, I heard a bunch of familiar slamming as my condo building’s mailbox was filled with today’s mail. Although I have surveillance cameras to let me know when someone comes up the walkway, I have minimal use for them. Why? My dog’s behavior automatically announces who has arrived — and it’s more ecstatic than a lottery winner when the mail carrier arrives.
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I didn’t intend to make her this happy to see the mail carrier. I just needed her to have a task before I was willing to pass out Junee bones. With 50 fairly big treats, I wasn’t going to just give these fancy snacks to her for being cute. And I’d already found out the hard way that she was incredibly nosy anytime someone rang my doorbell. I didn’t adopt a security guard, but I certainly got one.
Recommended Read: “Your dog can be your wingman, watchdog or a hater ~ If my watchdog doesn’t like you, then maybe I shouldn’t either”
So, I started opening the front door wide open and going into the lobby to get mail. But the only way she could get a treat is if she sat in front of the door and patiently waited. If she didn’t stay, she got no Junee bone. She caught on quickly. But she’d turn into a bunny rabbit until I stood up from my desk to check the mail. Not running. Hopping. Up and down, and gawking at me as if I had nothing better to do than check the mail 60 seconds after the mail carrier left.
But during National Dog Bite Awareness Week, maybe training dogs to look forward to seeing the mail carrier will decrease the results of 5,300 postal service employees who were attacked by dogs while delivering the mail last year.