Dogs have always loved me. Before I sold my first book, I was a mailman (letter carrier). As “low man” on the union totem pole, I didn’t have a regular route, but subbed different routes when others were off. I had to go into strange big dogs’ front fenced yards to deliver the mail and usually they never bothered me, even the houses that were red flagged “DANGEROUS DOG” back at the post office. I only had one dog SERIOUSLY go after me. It was a huge St. Bernard. He charged from out of nowhere, and I ran like the wind and climbed up onto the roof of the owner’s car, an old little VW beetle parked on the street. I balanced there, trapped and terrified while this dog tried to kill me. I yelled out ignored dog commands, then just plain yelled!
It was winter with high snowbanks all over, and the owner finally heard me. He ran to the front door buck naked and dripping from the shower, with just a little washrag held over his privates. He was screaming from the wide-open doorway at his pet and I was screaming at him to call off his dog. He was afraid to go back inside and dress, then come out and grab the collar, as the dog was trying to climb onto the hood to get at me. That dog was so big and the car was so small! Never saw where he came from. No warning. Didn’t know why he was out loose. Just saw this barking mountain of dog teeth barreling toward me and I headed for the heights! I was precariously balancing on a snow-covered, tiny convex roof with a 30-pound mail bag on my shoulder and praying.
The weather saved me from that savaging. If the car wasn’t covered with 3 inches of snow, the dog wouldn’t have keep slipping every time he tried to jump on the hood. He certainly was tall enough to do the jump. Heck, he could have normally walked onto it, he was so massive. And that old VW beetle roof was buckling under my feet. Yet it didn’t dent and collapse–not that I cared at this point–to throw me off balance. After ten minutes of terror, the dog finally obeyed the owner and came in the house.
I then told my supervisor I was “booting” the whole street for the week I had the vacationing regular mailman’s route. And to notify everyone who lived there and why. No one got their mail. Not him, not anyone on both sides of the whole block. Along with issued pepper spray, which I never used, it was the main defense we had for our safety and the union always backed us up. So everyone on the street had to collect their mail at the post office in person the whole time I was assigned there. I’m sure the irate neighbors had a word with this guy about locking up his dog! The next week the regular mailman came back for regular home mail delivery again. I hope he was friends with that St. Bernard, because that beast wanted me for dinner! Just like Cujo or the Hound of the Baskervilles!
You couldn’t make something like this up! To this day I smile whenever I think of that skinny, naked, dripping wet man in the doorway, holding this tiny washrag, trying to call off his “vicious” dog who was “simply protecting his territory.” Yes, I understand. I’ve had big dogs all my life. But if a dog won’t obey, then there’s a problem with the owner, too. My experience was frightening at the time. It wasn’t good for me, the neighborhood, or the dog. If I had called animal control, which I was entitled to do but didn’t—that man could have lost his dog forever. However, he cared enough about my safety to help in his “birthday suit” in the dead of winter, so as a dog lover myself, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe the dog escaped from an accidentally unlatched gate or door? It happens. I don’t know. But I do know he paid for his dog’s crimes with irate neighbors. They were all informed they weren’t getting house delivery due to his dog. It was punishment enough. I hope the poor owner didn’t get frostbite on any of his–umm–extremities. And FYI, the mailman can “boot” the route where a dangerous dog lives for whatever amount of time they deem safe–even permanently. The moral to this story?
Pet owners, if your dog does NOT OBEY A RECALL COMMAND, keep your pet fenced, housed, or leashed. It’s for the dog’s safety as well as others!