The postal service urges dog owners to take responsibility as data reveals an alarming spike in threatening incidents.

  • makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml
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    10 days ago

    Small dog owners are the worst.

    “Oh he is all bark! Hahahaha.”

    “Isn’t my yapping, aggressive, socially unsavoury pet so cute!”

    No, you have an untrained dog, that is a menace, because you have not trained it to socially acceptable standards.

    • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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      10 days ago

      As a dog owner for more decades than I wish to admit, I feel I need to correct a few misconceptions.

      Small dog owners know their dogs are the devil’s spawn in public, but they have a hard time reconciling that with the fact that their little dog is pure love towards them at home. Because they are small, they get to cuddle with their owner like bigger dogs cannot.

      Little dogs can indeed be yappy, aggressive, socially unsavory AND cute. These things are not mutually exclusive. Just ask anyone ever bitten because they tried to pet that adorable Pomeranian or Yorkie. They lure you in with cuteness so they can strike without warning.

      …“you have an untrained dog…”

      I find it adorable that you think a micro hellspawn is trainable.

      EDIT: I thought it was clear that this was meant mostly tongue and cheek.

      • saltesc@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        Micro hellspawns are created by behaviours such as picking up dogs during social interactions or to calm them. Also raising voice to tell the dog off for barking or being aggressive. But then also lack of socialisation and mental stimulation, especially since many small dog breeds are actually working dogs.

        Basically exactly what to do if you want to train an aggressive, loud dog very rapidly. There’s no such things as an untrainable dog. If a dog is behaving that way, it’s doing exactly what it was trained to do by the owner’s poor handling and knowledge.

        • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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          10 days ago

          Again…it was meant as a joke. I even clarified that I was kidding in the edit.

      • Chuymatt@beehaw.org
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        10 days ago

        I mean, I have trained my small dogs to mind me in the past. It just took dedication and time.

        Most dogs are trainable. Yorkies are… disposable, though.

  • Zagorath@aussie.zone
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    11 days ago

    This isn’t super surprising. Owners of big dogs generally know that their dogs are a problem, so they keep them somewhere that they can’t attack posties, and also are more likely to train the dog not to attack. Small dog owners are much more likely to be careless because aggression from them is seen as cute or funny. So they don’t get training, and don’t get put behind a separate fence.

    • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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      10 days ago

      I have had big dogs and little dogs in tandem for decades. Big dogs tend to be far more mellow. Little dogs have no chill. I have never had a problem with a big dog. They all (except one) seemed to default to couch potato mode. My wife’s little dog though… Careless or careful makes no difference.

  • indomara@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    This is why many of our packages weren’t delivered. We have a low front gate with a latch, and we have had many parcels taken to the post office without a delivery attempt.

    After calling aupost for the umpteenth time, they have told me that their drivers have been instructed to not enter any sort of gate because of dog attacks, unless they know the house and that there is not a dog.

    The second line of our address for everything now says “NO DOGS! Thank you!” and since doing that no problems.

  • breadsmasher@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    its actually just one postman, and he refuses to stop wearing his socks made of bacon

    (obvious joking)

  • Dubman@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    I am a postie and the amount of times I’ve heard “He is all bark dont worry” moments before the dog pushes through the door and tries to bite me, is ridiculous. Train or restrain your dogs people.

  • Ilandar@aussie.zone
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    10 days ago

    I enjoy the daily challenge of trying to open my front door to greet the postie with one arm while holding my very excited toy poodle under the other. Gets a laugh from her every day, I think it’s one of the highlights of her route.