Why Does My Dog Hate the UPS Man?
by
Carolyn Krause
A thunderous roar of barking usually greets the UPS truck driver as
he hurries on his rounds delivering packages. Why do dogs react so
strongly to this stimulus? True other noisy trucks are greeted with
alarm barks, but the most vigorous doggie cacophony seems to be
reserved for the UPS man, the mailman, or other delivery men. Why?
The answer is simple if you look at this from the dog’s point of
view. If a dog achieves a positive result to any behavior, that
behavior is likely to be repeated. It is quite normal, desirable and
natural for an adult dog to “sound off ” when strangers approach
his territory. Our companion dogs certainly consider our homes and
yards to be their territories.
When the dog raises an alarm at the approach of a stranger, if he is
successful in making the stranger leave; the dog gets an immediate
and powerful positive reward to reinforce this action. This is
called “self-reward.” When the dog barks and the stranger
immediately leaves (that is the delivery person or postman hurries
away), the dog thinks he has won the confrontation. He has no idea
that the intruder is leaving to continue his work. The dog may begin
to think that perhaps he is the toughest son of a gun in the valley!
When this kind of instant strong reward re-occurs in the same or
similar situations week after week, month after month; the dog’s
over barking is being constantly and automatically rewarded whether
the owner is present or not.
Most owners do want their dog(s) to give alarm barks at the approach
of strangers to the home. It is certainly wise to teach the dog to
quiet on signal.. Thus you will have a positive signal to use, one
for which the dog can be praised. If the signal “Quiet” is
ignored then you are fully justified in reinforcing your pack
leadership by retraining the dog to enforce “Quiet.” If the
alarm barking is totally beyond your control, then set the dog up.
Have a helper approach the house when you have a leash and collar on
the dog. Allow the few acceptable alarm barks and then give the “Quiet”
signal, praise when he’s quiet. Work on this by repetition until
you can give a “Down/Stay” signal and the dog stays while you
answer the door. You may have to begin far from the front door. Find
his tolerant distance and build from there. Letter carriers,
delivery workers and others who must enter your property in the
course of their jobs and friends and invited guests should be safe
from canine misbehavior. Even burglars say they can ignore a dog
that barks frequently because everyone else will ignore him, too.
Acknowledge an alarm bark and then have the dog quiet on signal. You
will have an extremely effective burglar deterrent tool. You may
need to insure that the dog does not have free access to delivery
doors.
It’s your responsibility to teach the necessary manners to your
dog. With a little persistence on your part, you can have a dog that
barks appropriately to sound an alarm without causing the cessation
of deliveries to your house or making you the focus of litigation on
behalf of unfortunate “bitees.”
If the dog must be left alone during the day, try to arrange
things so he doesn't get to practice his over-barking while
alone. You might consider confining the dog to a crate or an
area of the house where he can't hear or see postal or delivery
workers. Please consider leaving a radio playing and leaving a food
stuff-able toy to keep your pet thinking about something besides
"homeland defense." Your intervention and
re-training will not be very effective if Rover is sometimes free to
repeat the unwanted behavior in your absence.
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