Shropshire postmen learn how to fend off vicious dogs

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013 ... ious-dogs/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

Postal workers at a Shropshire delivery office have received specialist training from a dog welfare charity in a bid to drive down the number of dog attacks on its workers.


The initiative has been formed between Royal Mail and Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, following latest figures which showed there had been 44 dog attacks on posties in the Shropshire and Mid Wales area in the past 12 months.

Up to 180 employees at the Shrewsbury Delivery Office, in Castle Foregate, have taken part in the training sessions where they were taught about subtle body language, what to do if a dog is trying to bite and what to do if a dog is biting to minimise injury.

The figures between April last year and April 2013 revealed that 25 postmen and women were attacked in the SY postcode, which includes Shrewsbury and Mid Wales, 15 in the Telford TF post code, and four in the WV area, which covers part of south east Shropshire.

Letterboxes

And following an incident reported last November between a postie and a dog on a green in Reabrook, Shrewsbury, Royal Mail bosses temporarily stopped delivering post to about 30 homes in the area.

As part of the scheme, the charity will install letterboxes in all its rehoming centres with training rooms to help its resident dogs to learn to expect the postman’s arrival.

Lynn Barber, head of canine behaviour and training at Dogs Trust, said: “The key is to learn how to deal with this behaviour from the start.

“I am really pleased to be part of this initiative in order to help the poor postal workers who have to go through unnecessary stress and the dogs who just need to be understood.

“There are simple ways of combatting this and if this training helps to reduce the number of injuries then it is extremely worthwhile to postal workers, dog owners and the dogs themselves.”

Darren Thain, Royal Mail director of safety for the West of England, said: “We want to do everything possible to reduce this number as even one dog attack on our people is one dog attack too many. We very much welcome the support of the Dogs Trust in helping us achieve this.”

[Cut Off King]

I have a better way to tackle dogs,

If I see, hear or sniff a dog.......the mail goes back to the office.

The owners soon learn to keep their dogs in until I have delivered.

[DB1100]

Could they just run me though how to fend off a 40kg pitbull please,or maybe show we the best way to stop 2 crazy rottie's from having me for dinner,honestly these people talk so much B/S it's dangerous.If a large powerful dog bites you anywhere you are paralysed by the pain.

[Darren Bent]

People told me never run and keep still when the dog attack and I still get bitten.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

People told me never run and keep still when the dog attack and I still get bitten.

I thought it was don't turn or run, but back off slowly using the pouch as a shield.

[DB1100]

People told me never run and keep still when the dog attack and I still get bitten.

I thought it was don't turn or run, but back off slowly using the pouch as a shield.

How do you go on when you have had a revision and are using the LWT,that should be fun trying to fend off an aggressive dog with a trolley,I'd like to see a video of that on RMTV.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

[postypie]

I was told by my old line manager that if a dog approaches you from behind. And with his tail up....start to worry..... He then added...turn round slowly, and walk backwards in an orderly manner...so as not to alarm the dog and looking down towards the floor............oh I love RM managers!

[Independent]

I always carry with me, dog repellent (from a pet shop), which is a kind of aerosol hooter, except this one hoots mainly in the ultrasonic range, which supposedly scares dogs away. In practice, many of them just frowned at it. A word of caution for rural areas: Be careful using these near farms. They seem to also be cow attractants.