Another reason not to feed dogs treats

Jackburton

Gone Fish'n
Driver in our center ran over a Chihuahua yesterday that was running down a street into an intersection the driver was passing through. It was a T intersection where the driver was coming from the right side of the T, at the intersection a car was stopped facing the top of the T, as the driver passed through the T intersection, the dog came from the base of T, along the driver side door of the car that was stopped...straight across the T and under the back wheels of the UPS truck that was moving right to left of the T. Driver obviously never saw the dog as his view was obstructed by the other car. The dog wasn't on a leash at the time.

Management says he failed to honk his horn to alert the dog.

In terms of the treats comment in the title, this driver was a cover driver for the area. It's not yet clear if the dog was just a tire chaser, most likely, or a dog that owners let run loose to the regular driver to obtain treats. I mentioned in a previous post that I recently changed routes, today it happens that two dogs came bolting out of a garage straight towards the truck as I passed by a house to turn around in a cul-de-sac. I stopped two houses up from the cul-de-sac and the dogs were at my door, climbing in as the truck came to a stop. I could see they were friendly, not barking, but were very comfortable stepping in the vehicle. I told them in a firm voice to "get down", knowing this is what they most likely did with the previous driver. The owner comes up and says "The other driver always gave them treats when she comes down the street". I then explained to the owner that I'll be replacing the other driver and to please not let her dogs run loose as I don't carry treats for dogs and explained the reasoning why.

I know a lot of you don't care about my post, you love your animal friends, and will continue to feed them treats. The problem is when you're not there, conditions change, other drivers are effected by your decisions to feed the animals. All I'm saying is just be aware of possible scenarios in which you think you're doing a good thing, but can horribly backfire under the wrong conditions.

I won't even go into the implications if a dog was to have an allergy or just happen to die right after you fed it a treat it choked on.
 

Brownslave688

You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
Yep I'm pretty much right with you. As a cover driver I do appreciate the guys that leave the treats in their truck while gone.

I don't carry treats but I'm also not gonna drag out the 70 lbs pit that wants his treat first.
 

Dr.Brownz

Well-Known Member
I agree with you as well. I only feed select dogs that do not run up to my truck, which are dogs that live in yards and I feed them when I enter to deliver to a back/sidedoor or dogs that hang out in business's that I deliver to. I don't carry treats generally though, just if the regular driver has them in the truck and I know that a stop has a nice dog. It's funny maybe the first time a dog comes in your truck, then after that its a safety hazard.

Add to that idiot customers who don't control their dog when it's running around in the street in front of the truck. There is area I cover sometimes that is a tiny cul de sac where no matter what house I'm delivering to a dog comes from his yard (usually ball in mouth) and runs up to my passenger side and looks at me waiting for his treat. He will then follow me to the door of whatever house I went to and would then stand at my passenger side door looking at me. I've had to run him off every time to leave, I've explained my concerns to the owner and all he ever does is halfheartedly call his dog which will then run out as soon as my truck moves....
 

JL 0513

Well-Known Member
I'm always bothered when a customer says their regular driver always has a treat for their dog. Well excuse me. Somehow I'm the idiot standing their without a dog treat. Sorry, I can't afford to treat everyone's dog.
 

FilingBluesFL

Well-Known Member
There was a woman that had a "pack" of 4-5 chihuahua's that would run loose in the "yard" of her trailer. Back and forth across the road, the woman inside watching TeleNovella's or whatever.

One day I was driving down the road, some kid found one of her dogs that got hit.

Boy, you would have think she lost a child the way she was wailing and crying and pouring out the tears.

Amazing how they don't care, until something happens to it...

Too little, too late.

They STILL run loose.
 

Dr.Brownz

Well-Known Member
I'm always bothered when a customer says their regular driver always has a treat for their dog. Well excuse me. Somehow I'm the idiot standing their without a dog treat. Sorry, I can't afford to treat everyone's dog.

Response- "Do I look like the 'regular' driver?"

I always just say "Please keep your dog secured if you are expecting delivery. I will not risk my safety in anyway to deliver your packages."
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
I know a lot of you don't care about my post, you love your animal friends, and will continue to feed them treats. The problem is when you're not there, conditions change, other drivers are effected by your decisions to feed the animals. All I'm saying is just be aware of possible scenarios in which you think you're doing a good thing, but can horribly backfire under the wrong conditions.

You make valid points.

I have a rural route, so the dogs I deal with are all on private property. If I were in town and had a dog that was loose and following me around or running into traffic, I would avoid giving it treats for the reasons you describe.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
I'm always bothered when a customer says their regular driver always has a treat for their dog. Well excuse me. Somehow I'm the idiot standing their without a dog treat. Sorry, I can't afford to treat everyone's dog.
If you are on my center, the only way you are running my route when I am gone is by exercising your seniority to bump a junior employee off of it. Which means you know the route already and are fully aware of the fact that it is a rural route with lots of friendly dogs that are used to getting treats from me. Treats which I have fully stocked the truck with for your convenience. All you have to do....is to remember to keep a couple of those treats in your shirt pocket and you will be good to go.
 

Harry Manback

Robot Extraordinaire
"Management says he failed to honk his horn to alert the dog."

So they said it was his fault??

Funny thing about that is, he never saw it. Can't honk at a dog you don't know is there. Then again, they'd just say he failed to get the big picture.

Furthermore, what do they think? Are all dogs born with the primal instinct to know what a horn honking vehicle means?
 
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Packmule

Well-Known Member
In my building, dogs that run into the street, owners get asked by me to control them first. Second time animal control or law enforcement shows up. Third time they get a call from management. After that if a dog gets hit I've demonstrated having done all I can reasonably do. At least I have a leg to stand on.
 

Wally

BrownCafe Innovator & King of Puns
I give the "recalled from China" treats. They are free from the dumpster, and could possibility cut down on those annoying dog problems that pop up!

images
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
Much like hit while parked accidents were instantly not the drivers fault, now they all are.

Not all but the vast majority. Depends upon where the driver chose to park.

I was involved in a hit while parked on campus and it was clear that I had done all that I could to park in a safe manner.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
The worst thing a driver can do in these situations is give treats to every dog they encounter because most of those dogs will expect a treat everyday. Those dogs will run out to greet the truck regardless of which driver it is that day. I can tell which drivers are liberal with their treats because when I run their routes I have to constantly deal with spoiled dogs climbing in the truck. And that's after they've ran up to the truck and dangerously ran along side it. And some are so friendly and excited they don't realize they are scratching the hell out of the driver.

This is why only the questionable dogs should be given treats. And if that doesn't work then a swift kick to the throat if they attack and you can't get away. I carry dog mace, a dog whistle, and treats in my truck. My goal every day is to not use any of them. Including my foot.
 
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