There are 70 million good dogs, but... ANY DOG CAN BITE National Dog Bite Prevention Week May 19-25, 2013 • Train your dog.The basic commands “sit’”stay’”no’and “come” help dogs understand what is expected of them and build a bond oftrust between pets and people. • Dogs can be protective of their territory and may interpret the actions of letter carriers as a threat. Please take precautions when accepting mail in the presence ofyour pet. • If a dog threatens you, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact, remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight. • Never turn your back to a dog and run away. A dog’s natural instinct will be to chase and catch you. • When accepting mail at your door, place your dog in a separate room and close the door. • lfyou believe a dog is about to attackyou, try to place something between you and the dog, such as a purse, a backpack or a bicycle.