Dog attacks are a real threat to our posties.  Royal Mail's postmen and postwomen deliver six days a week to more than 29 million addresses across the UK and dog attacks are a significant hazard with an average of seven staff attacks each day across the UK.  These attacks rise during the school holidays and in the summer months when parents and children are a home with dogs - sometimes unsupervised in the garden or out on the street without restraint.  Read on for further advice.

  • Ensure your dog is out of the way before the postman or woman arrives - place you pet in the back garden or a far away room
  • If you have a back garden, close off the access, in case your dog could get round to the front when the postman calls
  • Dog attacks can happen when you've opened the door to sign for an item - keep your dog in another room before answering the door and make sure children don't open the door, as dogs can push them and attack
  • Give your dog some food or a toy to occupy them while your ail is being delivered
  • Wait 10 minutes after your mail has arrived to let your pet back into your hallway - keep everything as calm and low-key as possible
  • If your dog likes to attack you mail consider installing a wire letter receptacle - it will protect your post, protect your postman's fingers and reduce your dog's stress 
  • If its not practical for you to keep your dog away from a postman delivering your mail - consider fitting a secure mailbox on the edge of your property.
If your dog bits someone on your own private land, e.g. in your garden, it is still a criminal offence and is treated seriously. If you are concerned about your dog's behaviour when postie comes to the door, please contact us for further advice.

A personal account:
Tom Joyner (pictured above) was bitten during a normal delivery on Notley Road, when he was working as a postman for Royal Mail.  "The mail box was above the householder's gate so I  thought I was protected by the gate.  But the person's door had been left open and the gate was tethered with string.  The dog ran out and jumped up at me and bit me on the side of my right hip.  I have still got the scare even though this happened about 7 years ago.  The owner of the dog did apoligise at the time but my manager at Royal Mail wrote to the householder to say that the mail box area must be made safe, even when the dog gets into the garden.  Otherwise we Royal Mail will not be able to deliver."

For further information from Royal Mail on Dog Attacks click here

For further information about your dogs drive to interact with the postman, click here.