We have all seen the movies where Fido, the loyal and faithful canine companion of the household, hears the familiar sound of the postman walking up the pathway to deliver the post. Fido, wanting to please his master (hoping for a doggie treat), decides to retrieve the mail in the only way he knows how. Cut to the next scene when Fido’s faithful master walks into the hallway to find bits of post including the electricity bill, credit card statement, a letter from his brother and a cheque, all falling to the floor like confetti at a wedding, with Fido looking lovingly at his master hoping to be acknowledged for the great service he has just done.

If reading this reminds you of similarities with your own life then perhaps it’s time to look at changing the type of postbox you use. There are several options to consider: firstly, you could fit a cage to the back of your front door so that post does not fall to the floor. While this saves your mail from being chewed into tiny pieces, it does not prevent the dog from barking (if your dog is prone to doing so) at the postman every time he tries to deliver something. If you do have a particularly vocal pooch, an alternative option is to fit a mailbox externally on the boundary of your property; this way your local postie can deliver the mail and Fido is none the wiser.

External mailboxes can be fitted in a number of ways, such as to a gate, fence or wall, or they can be stand-alone units attached to a post. These mail boxes are made of extremely strong and durable metal - at Lettasafe we specialise in high quality cast aluminium mailboxes. These letterboxes are ideally suited to be positioned outdoors, and are designed to be able to withstand whatever the weather throws at it, be it rain, hail, snow or freezing temperatures and, because the holding area of the mailbox is raised off the ground, your post is unlikely to suffer from water damage.

Unfortunately, many dogs (no matter how lovely and friendly they normally are), take a bit of a disliking to the postman. External, rear-retrieval mailboxes are a perfect alternative to the standard type of slot-in-the-door postbox, especially when fitted to the garden fence as it means the postman can deliver without fear of getting nipped when depositing the mail into the front aperture. They are also excellent for keeping your mail secure; you as you can rest safe in the knowledge that your mail is kept away from prying eyes thanks to the back plate which requires a key in order to gain entry.