It’s the time of the year when a certain someone is busiest, making deliveries to homes.

Your postal carrier.

The Postal Service estimates it will deliver more than 15 billion cards, letters, and packages this holiday season, including more than 850 million packages.

And while you might view these visits with anticipation, your dog likely sees a stranger at the door.

More mail means more chances that a postal carrier will encounter a canine that doesn’t share that holiday spirit.

“Dog bite prevention and education are important to keep pet owners and those who visit homes for the holidays — like letter carriers — safe and happy,” said Krista Finazzo, Greater Michigan district manager. “Keeping dogs secure will help letter carriers get all the cards and packages delivered in time for the holidays.”

The Postal Service suggests these safety tips to pet owners:

— If a letter carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door.

— Please make sure your dog is contained during the hours the letter carrier may be in the neighborhood.

— Parents should remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may view the letter carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.

— The Package Pickup application on usps.com asks customers to indicate if there are dogs at their addresses when they schedule package pickups. This information is provided to letter carriers on their delivery scanners, which also can send real-time updates if an unleashed dog is reported in a delivery area.

— If a letter carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office until the letter carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area’s Post Office.

“We want letter carriers to be safe,” Finazzo said. “We can only do this with the help of our customers.”

The Postal Service has a complete list of holiday shipping deadlines and other information at about.usps.com/holidaynews.