Clubs Offering:
Even the most mild-mannered of dogs may turn into a fierce barker with the mail carrier or other delivery workers come around — it’s in their nature. Dogs tend to be protective, and some breeds are naturally more territorial than others.
The problem is, the nature of mail and package delivery — come onto the property, drop off the package, then turn and leave once the dog has given you a good talking to — provides the perfect training stimulus to reinforce this behavior. The pattern teaches your dog that when they bark, the intruder leaves.
If that pattern of barking has become a problem, there are some things you can do to break it — or keep it from forming in the first place. The obvious solution may be to introduce your dog to the neighborhood postal worker. But Dr. Mary Burch, certified animal behaviorist and director of AKC Family Dog, points out that it’s unlikely most postal workers would have time for this. There may also be some liability issues that prevent doing a meet-and-greet.
But anything you can do to socialize your puppy can help improve their reaction to strangers later on. “Early socialization is important for all dogs, and socialization teaches your dog to respond to new sounds (such as the mail truck) and new people in the environment,” Dr. Burch explains.
You can also prepare your dog to better handle situations involving other people and animals — including squirrels, other dogs on the street, and the dreaded mail carrier who just keeps coming back day after day — by teaching them basic patience-building commands such as “sit” and “wait.”
Dr. Burch also suggests teaching your dog a “sit and watch” procedure. Your dog learns to sit quietly and observe what’s going on, then is rewarded with a treat for that quiet behavior. You may have to work up to this incrementally so that you can always reward the positive behavior you’re looking for: quiet waiting. It can be helpful to recruit a friend to play the part of the postal worker or other encroaching “intruder,” getting progressively closer to the door as you teach your dog that the reward of not responding is better than the satisfaction of barking the foe away.
Another common practice is giving your dog a “job” to do when the mail carrier comes up to the door. For example, some owners train their dogs to grab a toy and head into the other room when a delivery person approaches.
Of course, there are a few things you absolutely shouldn’t do when your dog barks at the delivery workers. Don’t yell, and don’t respond to your barking dog with attention — they’ll see that as a reward. Instead, provide positive reinforcement, whether it’s a treat or praise or a favorite toy, when they show the sort of quiet behavior you’re looking for.
One is to get her out the situation as quickly as possible. By increasing the distance between your dog and the garbage truck, you minimize the damage to her progress. So, move away from it, whether that means heading down a side street; making a U turn and going the other way; or, when inside, moving away from the street-facing side of your home.
What is it about garbage trucks that upsets dogs? Pretty much everything. They’re big, they’re loud in a whole bunch of different ways, and they stop and start frequently. Heaven only knows how dogs feel about the variety of smells that emanate from them, but there’s certainly a powerful olfactory component. On top of everything—in towns and cities, at least—they pull up right in front of the dog’s house.
If a dog is reacting to the garbage truck for the fun of chasing something, then that desire to run and chase can be part of the solution. Since the sight of the vehicle provokes the behavior, one way to turn the behavior around is to literally turn it around: Get your dog to run in the other direction by chasing you or, perhaps, a toy. The more fun this alternative chase is for your dog, the easier it will be to train her to turn away from the truck.
As soon as you hear the garbage truck, put the stuffed toy by your dog’s nose, say “this way,” and lure her to a place where she can no longer see out the window. Then, give her the reward so that she is both reinforced for coming away from the window and has something enticing to keep her occupied for a while. Again, be sure to stuff it with really high-quality treats. It will take the smell of something special to outcompete her interest in the garbage truck; so-so treats, dry treats or kibble are unlikely to cut it.
If your dog is in the reactive group and you want to change the behavior, there are ways to help her dial it back. In order to do that, however, you need to figure out the cause: Is it set off by a desire to chase, or is it fear-based? (Note: Some of these techniques are helpful no matter which is behind the behavior.)
Why does my dog bark at and chase trucks?
When dogs are afraid of something, they naturally want to increase the distance between themselves and that something. … Dogs learn that the truck retreats when they chase it or bark at it, so it’s a behavior they continue to engage in because it’s reinforced every time the truck moves on.
Why do dogs CHASE or bark at moving cars and how to stop this dog behaviour.
The dog is alerting you and warning the newcomer that he or she is “approaching their territory.” … Many drivers carry dog treats with them to grease the wheels with their canine customers. So if Fido is barking, it might be because he knows that treats are on the way.