Plenty of dogs bark whenever someone comes close to the house—delivery drivers, mail carriers, sanitation workers—but every once in a while you may see a dog that has fallen head over paws for these workers.
That is evident in a November 3 video posted to the TikTok account @lchevy6. As soon as Otto the dog hears the brakes of the garbage truck on Thursdays, he’s itching to go outside. The owner wrote in the caption that Otto hears the truck from a mile away, and the words overlaid on the clip say he “has an obsession.”
But Otto doesn’t just run outside. He catapults himself out the door to make sure he does not miss a second of saying hello to the sanitary workers. His dedication is unmatched.
@lchevy6/TikTok
No window or door is safe in this household because Otto jumps up and down, scratching it until his owner lets him outside. Then he patiently waits for the garbage truck to come to the house. His entire body wiggles in anticipation.
The good news is that the workers do not ignore Otto. The one in this video ran right up to him, giving him pets.
The creator wrote in the comments section that Otto will sometimes get treats if the owner is working that route. Does Otto love the workers or is he just in it for the dog treats?
“I’m sure they look forward to seeing Otto just as much as Otto does seeing them,” wrote one viewer. Who wouldn’t want Otto to greet them during a workday?
Another viewer pointed out: “He’ll make sure you never miss trash day.”
And another added: “When his entire butt wiggles with his tail wagging.” Happy wags for the win!
Dogs vs. Delivery Drivers
As precious as this video is, the reality is that not all dogs are keen on befriending workers who come near their houses.
More than 5,300 postal service employees in the U.S. were attacked by dogs in 2022, according to the USPS. Houston topped the list of cities with the most dog bite incidents involving USPS employees. This number does not include Amazon, FedEx, UPS and other delivery service drivers.
Although mail carriers are trained to be observant of their surroundings and dogs, it is also a dog owner’s responsibility to know what their dogs might do. Often, dogs will respond with fear or aggression when they see delivery workers. Their natural instinct to protect kicks in.
One way to overcome a dog’s response to delivery drivers is proper socialization and introducing young dogs to as many people and situations as possible, according to Pet Keen. Other solutions include keeping your dog in a separate room around mail time, double-checking that all doors are closed and training the dog to remain calm and lie down.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.