Delightful Doggies

Why do dogs dislike postal workers?

As most of us know, dogs were once used for specific jobs. Breeds are a result of our wanting to use dogs for such jobs. Border collies herd sheep, Great Pyrenees watch over and guard their stock, rat terriers keep the farm and home free of disease-carrying rats, and several breeds–indeed, quite a few–were also bred to protect and guard. They have natural territorial tendencies.

For some dogs, these territorial tendencies come into play when someone like a postal worker makes a delivery to our home. Postal workers aren’t the only ones who may end up being “targeted” by our dogs–UPS or FedEx delivery people, or other visitors, can also be subject. They hear and/or see this person. They bark. They continue to bark and the person finishes the delivery, and continues on their route. Since the person left, the dog’s action of barking is reinforced–it worked in getting them to go away!

Besides being territorial, there can be other causes for why a dog may “dislike” a postal worker or delivery person. Sometimes it may be fear. Sometimes it’s just excitement, or frustration at not being able to meet the person. Whether it’s being a guarder/territorial, being too excited, fearful or frustrated, all would be addressed through behavior modification techniques to recondition the dog’s response to the delivery person/postal worker. A qualified trainer or behaviorist with experience in these techniques can adequately diagnose your dog’s particular response and formulate a treatment plan. Management techniques are also helpful to curb this behavior, so the dog isn’t continually being reinforced for the undesired behavior.

Dog behavior is complex, especially when it comes to issues of reactivity, such as this question poses. Therefore, we recommend a complete consultation from a professional if you are experiencing this issue in order to safely and adequately address it. Contact us if you have more questions or would like to schedule a consultation.

Thank you and happy training!
Laura
Owner, Delightful Doggies

My six-month-old puppy is house broken, but whenever he gets around one of his dog friends, he always pees a little. I know some dogs tend to piddle when then get really excited, but he does it all the time! Is there any way to discourage this behavior?

What is happening is either pure excitement, or what is known as submissive urination, which is normal canine communication.

If it is submissive urination, there would be other signals: cowering or lowering of the body, lip licking, tucking the tail and keeping the ears low and back, or even a grin. When a dog displays these signals to another dog, he is appeasing the other dog and demonstrating he is not a threat. This is very common in puppies and they can outgrow it in time with appropriate socialization. If it’s happening with an adult dog, it can be a sign of a lack of confidence or possible fear, which can be addressed with a professional.

In either case, excitement or submissive urination, it’s important to rule out any medical cause so I highly recommend getting an evaluation from a veterinarian.

In your situation, since it only happens with one particular friend dog, it sounds like a case of pure excitement, or submission to his friend. If you don’t want him to urinate inside, take him outside to meet his friend. This will prevent any accidents and frustration for you. You can also work on teaching him sit so you can get him to sit politely when his friend comes. This will take some time so practice in easy steps first before trying with his friend. The stronger you can make this cue in other situations before trying in front of his friend, the more successful he is likely to be.

Keep the energy low-key on your end. If you’re worked up when they meet, they’ll be more worked up! In addition to teaching sit, work on other cues like focus, stay and down, and on impulse control exercises. The ASPCA has a great listing of impulse control exercises/games you can enjoy with your dog.

What is even more important is what NOT to do: don’t scold or punish him! This will only make the problem worse. Don’t be frustrated or make comments or gestures that show your frustration or negative emotions. If he’s being submissive in this way he’ll only do it more in an attempt to appease you.

These tips are simple and will work on dogs that don’t have other underlying issues, such as fear or anxiety, or possible aggression towards people. Dog behavior is complex and these tips may not work in all cases. Therefore, we recommend a complete consultation from a professional if these tips do not work or if your dog has more serious behavioral issues. Contact us if you have more questions or would like to schedule a consultation.

Thank you and happy training!
Laura
Owner, Delightful Doggies