Irish postal workers are more wily than their German counterparts when it comes to negotiating with angry dogs - or perhaps Irish dogs are better behaved.
An Post had a "handful" of reported dog attacks this year, compared with almost 1,800 attacks on their German colleagues.
In an effort to reduce attacks, Deutsche Post has begun sending workers on courses to learn how to psychoanalyse dogs.
German postal workers are being taught how to judge a dog's mood by their expressions. They are encouraged not to look a dog straight in the eye, and to stand still if attacked.
An Post spokesman Mr John Foley said it had no plans to introduce dog psychology, but he said the company was updating its policy paper on dog attacks.
During induction, all new An Post delivery workers were advised on handling encounters with aggressive dogs, he said. Dog "zappers", which emit a noise heard only by dogs, are also available to some workers. If dogs are consistently uncontrolled, An Post can stop deliveries to homes.
"About half the population owns a dog so it's an occupational hazard," Mr Foley said.
Deutsche Post runs seminars, organises training courses and meets the owners of problem-causing dogs. It also issues a pepper and oil spray to staff to stop dogs in mid-attack. The number of attacks on postal workers is falling as a result of the initiative, according to a spokesman.
