# GSD Service Dog at Zoo



## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

So I saw this video and had to share. I have lots of thoughts on this, but I wanted to see what some of you guys had to say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZJ9OVDj-kY&frags=pl,wn


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I can of course understand someone with a disability wanting to enjoy the zoo, dog is there in service of their human.


The big cats response doesn't surprise me. While I know zoo animals are cared for I always assume they are stressed.


I would think only a very stable dog could focus and continue to work in this type of setting. 


That's my thoughts, although not very deep ones. lol


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

A little disturbing since both animals were so aroused...
Kind of scary to see how fascinated the cougar was by a dog! 

From dog owner point of view - at first seems like owners were praising him for reacting?
When he reacted, the people said things in a positive tone so if I were the dog, I would get the impression that my reactions were a good thing.
Later, they praised him again when he was being calm & quiet & brave, and that seems more appropriate.

It was bit crazy to see the little kids running around in front of the cougar and putting their hands on the glass, etc.
It's like the beginning of a Jurassic Park movie...we are so brave with our "captive" animals, don't really respect them. 
That is my two cents!


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

I saw this the other day. Nothing on the dog, the dog did great in my opinion. It is the owner that kind of upset me taunting/stressing out the animal with his service dog. 

Good on the dog. Bad on the owner in my opinion.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Mei said:


> I saw this the other day. Nothing on the dog, the dog did great in my opinion. It is the owner that kind of upset me taunting/stressing out the animal with his service dog.
> 
> Good on the dog. Bad on the owner in my opinion.


Yes, I went back and watched it again until the end, and with sound.


I thought the dog did very well but I was disappointed the owner didn't just move on. I don't think there's any positive training gained by this scenario playing out as long as it did.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

I thought the dogs response was appropriate both at the initial onset and after.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Cougar in an uproar. Dog licking his lips showing anxiety. Owner video taping.

Classic......


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

The dog handled himself remarkably well! Why the owner/handler called his dog's attention to the cat in the first place is beyond me! I think the dog should, and very likely would, have ignored the cat in that setting. Though it's hard to say. I know dogs seem to have very strong instinctual animosity for bears, I would expect a similar instinctual feeling toward a cougar. In any event, it was really sad that the owner didn't just allow the dog to handle the situation naturally, rather than teasing both the cougar and his dog!

On another note, I saw an Akita mix service dog, well over 100 lbs, while out shopping the other day! I was a bit shocked, as Akitas are not exactly known for their even, calm temperament! But this dog conducted himself really well, I was impressed!


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

A few years back there was a big fuss made in the media regarding a service dog denied entrance to a zoo in my state.The folks at the zoo attempted to be gracious and accommodating and offered to send a personal(human) escort with the owner of the dog.They even had a safe air conditioned space for the dog to remain in the meantime.The owner refused and started a fuss about discrimination.....

IMO it's not safe for the dogs,owners,and the zoo creatures.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

There is no way to know the owner’s disability. Lack of judgement could be part of it. I’m bothered they posted pictures of other people’s children without permission. Otherwise, it seems typical of zoos. Animals are teased all the time. It should not happen, but it’s set up to do that in the way it’s designed.


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## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

In general, I am not a fan of these zoo enclosures where this goes on. The Sea Otters and Seals seem to like it..but that Cougar is agitated, teased. At the very least put into a heightened state. I like more natural enclosures where people can view them in a natural environment from a distance. 

The dog did great, considering. I am pretty sure a large cat of prey jumping at them is not something required for the public access/neutrality test. Thinking that you can even squash the most ingrained instinct of self preservation from any animal just because it is a service animal is seriously unrealistic. So I think he did good, and I think the handlers are totally in the wrong. They should have praised him when he centered himself so quickly, once he was centered...then walk away


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

I thought it was only fair for the dog to react. How could you expect even a well trained dog to not react to a predator charging him? That said, I was very disappointed in the owner. I have spoken with security at a zoo regarding bringing a service animal, and under no circumstances would I allow my dog to make an animal (the cougar) that upset without moving on. As soon as the cougar freaked out and my dog reacted, I would have moved on. I wouldn't have stood there allowing the poor cougar to pace. The cougar was clearly stressed out. The owner seemed to be encouraging the behavior and even laughing about teasing the cat behind the glass.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

The San Antionio Zoo has a big rock and glass leopard installation with cavelike grottos. It is amazing to me to see the cluelessness of parents with toddlers and little kids. The leopards are actually stalking the running screaming little children, only inches away behind the glass. To that cougar, this was the closest thing to its true prey it has seen in a long time. He really wanted dog meat! And all the clueless people--- I used to like zoos. I don't anymore.

At my Oregon place some people across the river came home from shopping and while gathering the groceries their Labrador went to get on the front porch. Out of the woods ran a cougar, grabbed the dog by the neck and kept running, didn't miss a stride.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

IMO any zoo exhibit should have a good barrier physical between the animals and the public. But since we have to please the clueless as well, the animals have to suffer.
Animals behind glass, 1 inch from people is only to make people think that animals are not in cages. I actually hate zoos. I understand that it is educational but still...
The dog does well and looks like a legitimate service animal. The owner needs to be reeled in on a prong.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I see a regular dog. I would imagine my dogs would of been hyper focused and settled down but still super focused like the dog in the video. The owner is a fool and seem to enjoy the friction. It was interesting to see the cougar run over and hyper focus on the dog like a meal and not the little people. Good thing for that glass separation.


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

I think the zoo is put between a rock and a glass wall. Yes the disabled who use service dogs have an access right but the animals on exhibit need to be considered also. It's hard enough being on display for humans but most become desensitized to that. Zoos put a lot of effort in trying to keep the stress factor down. 

I don't know where the fairness and happy medium would be but I would expect a bit more empathy from the owner regarding the effect his dog was having on that cougar.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Honestly? This video made me sick. 
The "service dog" was agitated and in no way focused on it's person, except a few cursory glances. It did handle itself well all in all. 
The cat was agitated and hyper focused on the dog. 
The owner was an idiot, taunting a wild animal for his own amusement and should have been removed from the premises. 
I am not a fan of zoos, and IMHO it is us humans who ought to be confined. The dogs owner is proof of that.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

It is possible to design zoo exhibits so the visitors can see the animals without causing them stress. I remember the tiger exhibit at the Metro Toronto zoo. The tigers are in a pit with natural vegetation and rocks that they can lie on or use for concealment. They can also go into their dens if they want. There is a metal railing and a wall around the exhibit to keep visitors from getting too close. At the bottom of the wall is a moat to keep the tigers even further back from the humans.

There are some underwater exhibits where the visitors have direct contact with the glass as in this exhibit (sea lions, polar bears) but the animals seem to actually enjoy the interaction.


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## Midnightrave (Aug 30, 2018)

I personally have a gsd service dog in training and honesty that Servicr dog reactived pretty well he barked because of him trying to protect the owner just like Gsd do as an instinct to protect their “pack” or family and once he realized there was no way of him hurting them he then started to behave like he should now I would have walked away to defuse the situation instead of just standing there but zoos are a really good place to see how well your service dog is doing because their are so many distractions


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## clipke (Nov 14, 2017)

I don't think either of my dogs would be particularly threatened. This isn't the largest of cats, and there is a barrier. Personally, I don't think I'd put my animals in that situation regardless. We don't know the condition of the handler, or if he really even needs the service animal 24/7. Could be something very minor, and not life threatening or threatening at all for that matter. **** there's service dogs to "remind" you to take medications even. Based on the title of the video alone, which is very clickbait, I'd assume the owner purposely brought his dog there with intentions of recording the interaction. This man stressed out both animals for no valid reason at all based on what we see in this video.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

At my Oregon place there are cougars. Since they stopped being able to hunt cougars with dogs in Oregon their population has really increased. Parks and Wildlife estimates there are upwards of 6500 in the state. Cougars prey upon dogs. Just across the river from me a couple drove up to the house, let out their Labrador who ran to the porch. A cougar came running out of the woods, took the dog by the neck and kept running, didn't even miss a stride. I myself walking with my dog up on the mountain forest have felt something was watching me. Thats because something probably was. This was in the early evening. It is a predator that freaks me out because you don't see them coming. They are ambush predators, they drop out of a tree above a path and bite the neck or crush the skull. They can easily kill an Elk. Best thing is to carry a firearm when riding a horse up there in the national forest, its like the wild west because it is.


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## clipke (Nov 14, 2017)

Nurse Bishop said:


> At my Oregon place there are cougars. Since they stopped being able to hunt cougars with dogs in Oregon their population has really increased. Parks and Wildlife estimates there are upwards of 6500 in the state. Cougars prey upon dogs. Just across the river from me a couple drove up to the house, let out their Labrador who ran to the porch. A cougar came running out of the woods, took the dog by the neck and kept running, didn't even miss a stride. I myself walking with my dog up on the mountain forest have felt something was watching me. Thats becausese something probably was. This was in the early evening. This is a predator that freaks me out because you don't see them coming. They are ambush predators, they drop out of a tree above a path and bire the neck or crush the skull. They can easily kill an Elk. Best thing is to carry a firearm when riding a horse up there in the national forest, its like the wild west because it is.


Luckily we really only have deer and coyotes around here. A few weeks ago my shepherd caught a coyote by the neck at like 3am while going to the bathroom. I'm curious though, how many large dogs would suffice as defense against a cougar of the size(it was shorter than the children so I imagine it wasn't fully grown) of the one in this video if one does not have a firearm? I'll be traveling out west with my dogs next year and plan on avoiding any large wildlife.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

I don't think many dogs would suffice against a cougar, period. I would never chance it, but there are dogs, such as the Rhodesian ridgeback, that were bred to be able to scare off, hunt, or fight predators like lions and bears. But it's true, cougars will prey on dogs. I don't think many, if any, dogs would scare them off if they were determined. I have seen videos of cougars attacking full grown adult humans, as well as little kids on bikes or just walking by. They are one animal I really don't trust. I would almost rather come across a bear, but I know many people won't agree with me on that.

I do have to say that you likely won't see much though. I lived in the mountains and forests in northern Idaho my whole life and only saw a cougar once and a bear twice. All three ran off and left me alone.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

clipke said:


> Luckily we really only have deer and coyotes around here. A few weeks ago my shepherd caught a coyote by the neck at like 3am while going to the bathroom. I'm curious though, how many large dogs would suffice as defense against a cougar of the size(it was shorter than the children so I imagine it wasn't fully grown) of the one in this video if one does not have a firearm? I'll be traveling out west with my dogs next year and plan on avoiding any large wildlife.


Did your GSD kill the coyote? Wow. 

Guidelines from Oregon Parks and Wildlife

If you live in cougar country

Learn your neighborhood. Be aware of any wildlife corridors or places where deer or elk concentrate.
Walk pets during the day and keep them on a leash.
Keep pets indoors at dawn and dusk. Shelter them for the night.
Feed pets indoors.
Don't leave food and garbage outside.
Remove heavy brush from near the house and play areas.
Install motion-activated light outdoors along walkways and driveways.
Be more cautious at dawn and dusk when cougars are most active.
Do not feed any wildlife. By attracting other wildlife, you may attract a cougar.
Keep areas around bird feeders clean.
Deer-proof your garden and yard with nets, lights, fencing.
Fence and shelter livestock. Move them to sheds or barns at night.
If You Recreate in Cougar Country

Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
Leave your dog at home or keep it on a leash. Pets running free may lead a cougar back to you.
Hike in groups. Make noise to alert wildlife of your presence.
Keep children close to you. Teach them about wildlife.
Keep campsites clean. Sleep 100 yards from cooking areas.
Store food in animal-proof containers.
Carry deterrent spray. (heck, I want something that sprays ammunition)
Be cautious at dusk and dawn.
Never feed any wildlife. Prey attracts predators.
Do not approach any wildlife; stay at least 100 yards away.
Steer clear of baby wildlife. Mother is likely nearby.
Be alert when sitting quietly or stopping to rest.
Be especially alert at dawn and dusk when cougars are most active.
Be aware that animal calls and animal kills can attract a cougar.

Cougars often will retreat if given the opportunity. Leave the animal a way to escape.
Stay calm and stand your ground.
Maintain direct eye contact.
Pick up children, but do so without bending down or turning your back on the cougar.
Back away slowly.
Do not run. Running triggers a chase response in cougars, which could lead to an attack.
Raise your voice and speak firmly.
If the cougar seems aggressive, raise your arms to make yourself look larger and clap your hands.
If in the very unusual event that a cougar attacks you, fight back with rocks, sticks, bear or pepper spray, tools or any items available.


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## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

Had an aunt that lived in Peoria AZ, and both of her boxers got taken out by Cougars. I was little at the time. That and the sounds they would make when mating/in heat at night really made an impression on me lol I don't think a Mountain Lion would have much trouble at all dispatching the majority of dogs around. My friend has a 200 lb fit and protection trained Boerbol. Maybe he would do ok? IDK, don't want tofind out.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Pytheis said:


> I don't think many dogs would suffice against a cougar, period. I would never chance it, but there are dogs, such as the Rhodesian ridgeback, that were bred to be able to scare off, hunt, or fight predators like lions and bears. But it's true, cougars will prey on dogs. I don't think many, if any, dogs would scare them off if they were determined. I have seen videos of cougars attacking full grown adult humans, as well as little kids on bikes or just walking by. They are one animal I really don't trust. I would almost rather come across a bear, but I know many people won't agree with me on that.
> 
> I do have to say that you likely won't see much though. I lived in the mountains and forests in northern Idaho my whole life and only saw a cougar once and a bear twice. All three ran off and left me alone.


Those hunting dogs are hunted in packs, not alone. Here is an interesting video about a Mal named Chaos saving his handler who was attacked by a mountain lion.


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## clipke (Nov 14, 2017)

Nurse Bishop said:


> Did your GSD kill the coyote? Wow.
> 
> Guidelines from Oregon Parks and Wildlife
> 
> ...


Fortunately he let him go. It was very small, maybe 30lbs. We don't see many, I live in the suburbs, so they're always alone when we do see them. Are there any areas specifically out west I should avoid? I'll be traveling in my van down the coast line to mexico with the dogs.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

The service dog at the zoo- gezzs people do a lot of stupid things. The San Antonio has a manmade mountain full of glass fronted caves opening in to leopard exibits. There are parents on the other side of the glass with running toddlers and babies in strollers saying here kittly kitty oh look how cute. And these cats have their eyes fixated and staring with deadly intent at possible prey- their children- and they don't even know it.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

CometDog said:


> Had an aunt that lived in Peoria AZ, and both of her boxers got taken out by Cougars. I was little at the time. That and the sounds they would make when mating/in heat at night really made an impression on me lol I don't think a Mountain Lion would have much trouble at all dispatching the majority of dogs around. My friend has a 200 lb fit and protection trained Boerbol. Maybe he would do ok? IDK, don't want tofind out.


When I was a teenager I was blessed with the greatest horse I have known my life. The first and best of all my horses I bought her with my babysitting money. So I was going to meet my little sister in a remote redwood canyon in the hills for a picnic. She left first on foot. Around noon, I was riding Tamar down a steep slope to the redwoods. She was sliding on her butt, so steep she was sliding down on her haunches. Suddenly, she whirled around and bounded back up the slope. Whats the matter with you? I said and turned her around. She continued, then whirled around again. But she did go down there because I asked her to. Then I heard the most horrible sound. It was the most unearthly sound I had ever heard. Like a maniac raving, sometimes like a woman screaming, sometimes a deep growl and screeching then like something from outerspace. I thought whatever it is, it must have my sister and my fear turned to rage. I dismounted, tied the mare to a tree and got a heavy fallen limb like a club. I went looking for it to fight it. People are not in their right minds in this situation. Then I saw across the creek in the rocks, something moving with a flowing motion like melted butter. It was a mountain lion. I went back to Tamar and galloped away up the creek. We came to to a barn and there was my sister sitting on the fence with her eyes as big as saucers. Did you hear that? she said. What impressed me about this is when I realized that Tamar had smelled that lion. She knew what it was. And she went down there anyway because I asked. One of the greatest innate fears of horses is mountain lions. And that brave mare lived for 40 years.


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