# Woman attacked by mountain lion/cougar and belg mal protects her



## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

Quite a story and I hope the much loved dog recovers. Has your dog ever protected you? If not what leads you to think they would or wouldn't?Any other thoughts about the story?








Outlook improving for gravely injured dog who saved owner from mountain lion


"The mountain lion bit onto the dog's head and would not let go."




www.sfgate.com












Outlook improving for gravely injured dog who saved owner from mountain lion


"The mountain lion bit onto the dog's head and would not let go."




www.sfgate.com


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

I sure hope so. I just biked in cougar country with the dogs today. I am keeping track via our cameras on our property since four months. A cougar is on camera every month. Different ones: a huge male and last week a lone female


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## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

wolfy dog said:


> I sure hope so. I just booked in cougar country with the dogs today. I am keeping track via our cameras on our property since four months. A cougar is on camera every month. Different ones: a huge male and last week a lone female


I have some friends who have cameras on their properties in the Santa Cruz mountains. The mountain lions are beautiful and reclusive for the most part. i do a lot of hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains with my current GSD and have with my past shepherds as well.I'm not much of a dawn hiker but I'm always a little cautious around dusk especially if my dogs hackles go up and he seems on alert....I'm not so worried about the well fed pumas as the emaciated sickly ones...they are the desperate ones who are more likely to attack human, dog, child whatever.....coyotes as well but i'm not so worried about them when I have my dog with me....


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Incredible and sad story, coyotes are nothing compared to a mountain lion.
Hopefully Eva fully recovers but that's quite the ordeal.

In that wild country, you should be carrying a sheathed straight blade, pepper spray and a heavy walking stick at a minimum. Not her fault but she was unprepared and lucky to be alive herself.


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## Mannix (12 mo ago)

WNGD said:


> In that wild country, you should be carrying a sheathed straight blade, pepper spray and a heavy walking stick at a minimum. Not her fault but she was unprepared and lucky to be alive herself.


I typically carry a U.S. Army KayBar knife and a concealed pistol in my neck of the woods.


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## brittanyS (Dec 11, 2018)

It’s hard to know if your dog will defend you. Dixie was never very brave and would run from the cows if they lowered their heads at her. We had one cow that was known to be crazy and she started to chase me once while I was walking through the field. Dixie didn’t hesitate to run over and scare the cow away. It was no mountain lion, but it surprised me that Dixie protected me even when I know she was afraid of cows.


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## CEMC (May 2, 2020)

Mannix said:


> I typically carry a U.S. Army KayBar knife and a concealed pistol in my neck of the woods.


Absolutely. Carry the most effective weapon(s) you can handle well & comfortably fit on your body.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

This encounter illustrates a good point. While your chances of dying by bee sting are higher than by mountain lion generally speaking, an ill or wounded animal COMPLETELY defies all odds and does present a very real danger! It only takes one...

Better to be over than under prepared!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

tim_s_adams said:


> This encounter illustrates a good point. While your chances of dying by bee sting are higher than by mountain lion generally speaking, an I'll or wounded animal COMPLETELY defies all odds and does present a very real danger! It only takes one...
> 
> Better to be over than under prepared!


The odds of an attack are slim but the odds of surviving the one that happens is even less


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## xthine (Nov 9, 2018)

Very fortunate that she was close enough to her vehicle to grab a tire iron and get some help from another individual who had pepper spray and a 4 foot long PVC pipe. 
Read the dog has 2 skull fractures, punctured sinus cavity and left eye swelling (seized on the way to the vet?).

Josie and I hike routinely in the wilderness but we seem to encounter more wildlife in our neighborhood. Javelinas, bob cats and coyotes. The closest encounter we’ve had is 2 coyotes coming from behind us, less than 20 feet away (the umbrella might have spooked them).
I often see coyotes from a distance, also, Josie’s ears perk up and she becomes focused, that’s when I know to be on the lookout. I’ll have Josie sit behind me while my eyes are locked on the coyote. 
Don’t know if she’ll protect me if we are attacked. In my head that’s the last resort. I always carry a baton when we’re out walking. 
In my hiking pack I have: HALT spray, whistle, Ka-Bar straight edge knife, baton, spare slip lead and muzzle, K9 first aid kit and a Fido Pro sling. I hope not to use any of those while we’re out.  
*I have taken my baton out at charging off leash dogs a few times 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RosiesPaw (8 mo ago)

I know the area well where this happened. There's a fair amount of cats around this way. At the last house, on the edge of the forest, 800ft elevation, we had an evening visitor on the porch 3 autumns ago. It was a humbling experience considering I was walking thru the forest to town and back every morning and night!

But Trinity county is mostly very isolated and very mountainous, lots of big cougars in those hills. When considering this, im glad I live in a sea level neighborhood with my pup


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## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

So far he's protected me from the attention of small children by attracting them to himself instead. If he's off leash, he just darts around and makes them chase him until they tire out and give up. On leash he just bravely accepts the pets and attention.

He also got between me an a drunk (or meth head) one night. Never made a sound, just got between us and gave the stranger the trademark Shepherd Stare. Dude decided that even if I had the lighter he asked for (I didn't) it wasn't worth getting.

We don't have any cougars in my area that I've ever encountered but we DO have a lot of bears. Nasty, cowardly trash thrashers that just make a nuisance of themselves. No real danger as long as you don't corner them, and Sutter Cain is good at keeping my yard safe from those. And any that won't run from him have learned to run away from ME. I don't HAVE to get close to hit them with something hard.

Thankfully, we haven't been put into any serious situations where he'd need to endanger himself to protect me and may we never, but I think he'd try his hardest if we did.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

I’ve seen my dogs reactions to pretty much every wild animal they encounter. It’s never been run away. As for protecting me, I’ve seen there reactions to people and things they perceive as a threat outside of training environments. I wouldn’t chance it with them personally, but ti each it’s own.


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## Hopps (Dec 5, 2021)

giebel said:


> I have some friends who have cameras on their properties in the Santa Cruz mountains. The mountain lions are beautiful and reclusive for the most part. i do a lot of hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains with my current GSD and have with my past shepherds as well.I'm not much of a dawn hiker but I'm always a little cautious around dusk especially if my dogs hackles go up and he seems on alert....I'm not so worried about the well fed pumas as the emaciated sickly ones...they are the desperate ones who are more likely to attack human, dog, child whatever.....coyotes as well but i'm not so worried about them when I have my dog with me....


One of my good friends used to live in the Santa Cruz mountains with a nice herd of goats. They raised a few dogs in the mountains so they are very wildlife savvy (the dogs). She taught the dogs to disengage and avoid mountain lions that come onto their property. The mountain lion that frequented their house was very hungry and would only come by if it was having bad luck. Easily jumped the 7-8 ft fence and grabbed a young goat. Even with guns they would never confront it. 

Another friend never used their garage. One day they saw through a window 3 creatures were living in the garage. It was a female mountain lion and 2 cubs. Cops and animal control did a 180 when they saw the little ones. They literally ended up buying 20 lbs of meat and throwing it in there to keep them in the garage and they eventually left on their own (too much ruckus). Spooky stuff.


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## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

Mannix said:


> I typically carry a U.S. Army KayBar knife and a concealed pistol in my neck of the woods.


I carry pepper spray and small knife when walking with my dog
..woods or no woods.


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## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

Hopps said:


> One of my good friends used to live in the Santa Cruz mountains with a nice herd of goats. They raised a few dogs in the mountains so they are very wildlife savvy (the dogs). She taught the dogs to disengage and avoid mountain lions that come onto their property. The mountain lion that frequented their house was very hungry and would only come by if it was having bad luck. Easily jumped the 7-8 ft fence and grabbed a young goat. Even with guns they would never confront it.
> 
> Another friend never used their garage. One day they saw through a window 3 creatures were living in the garage. It was a female mountain lion and 2 cubs. Cops and animal control did a 180 when they saw the little ones. They literally ended up buying 20 lbs of meat and throwing it in there to keep them in the garage and they eventually left on their own (too much ruckus). Spooky stuff.


About 10 years ago in Half Moon bay California( the mountains in the area frequently have mountain lions) a couple reported two very young cougars( 30 pounds or less) under there porch after a rain storm(probably lost, afraid and or hungry). The couple reported it to police who reported it to California Fish and Game wardens. Game wardens arrived to the home and shot the young cougars to death who had harmed no one and weren't a threat. If I remember correctly it used to be policy to kill on site but now game wardens are given more discretion. Happy to hear your good outcome story.


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## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

RosiesPaw said:


> I know the area well where this happened. There's a fair amount of cats around this way. At the last house, on the edge of the forest, 800ft elevation, we had an evening visitor on the porch 3 autumns ago. It was a humbling experience considering I was walking thru the forest to town and back every morning and night!
> 
> But Trinity county is mostly very isolated and very mountainous, lots of big cougars in those hills. When considering this, im glad I live in a sea level neighborhood with my pup


Great story!I've spent a little time in Shast-Trinity visiting and it's a gorgeous and very isolated part of the state. I think a lot of people who have never been to California don't realize how many beautiful remote places we have beyond Big Sur or touristy parts of Tahoe or Yosemite.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

If you allow them to take a young goat and don't do anything, you are merely providing a feeding station that acclimates them more to humans and thus increasing the risk for a confrontation. Same by feeding them meat in the garage. Why not harass them to leave? If the cubs are old enough to walk, they should leave and made afraid of people and not associate them with food.


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## brittanyS (Dec 11, 2018)

There are mountain lions/bears in the woods surrounding the sheep farm where I go for herding. They keep Anatolian Shepherds with the sheep and those dogs have successfully scared away coyotes, bears, and mountain lions on more than one occasion. There are at least two livestock guardian dogs in each pasture.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Maybe my next dog should be an Anatolian instead of small breed.


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## RosiesPaw (8 mo ago)

brittanyS said:


> There are mountain lions/bears in the woods surrounding the sheep farm where I go for herding. They keep Anatolian Shepherds with the sheep and those dogs have successfully scared away coyotes, bears, and mountain lions on more than one occasion. There are at least two livestock guardian dogs in each pasture.


A buddy of mine has a ranch in southern Humboldt county, really isolated sort of place. He's got 2 Anatolians and 2 Belgian Malinois. Gotta keep the older female Belgian separated from the female Anatolian at all times, but they've all fought/chased off cats. The Anatolians are impressive dogs. Pretty close to chest high!


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## CEMC (May 2, 2020)

Anatolian Shepherds are large courageous dogs but the secret to success isn't increasing the size of the dog but increasing the number of dogs. Just like the poster said; having "at least two guardian dogs at all times". A lone Anatolian is no match for a healthy, full grown cougar. Dogs and humans are not designed to survive alone but two or more courageous dogs or a courageous human and a courageous dog are a formidable combination if they fight as a team. 
Two or three good sized GSD's with the will and skills to fight together have a better than 50/50 chance of running off any land animal in North America except maybe a grizzly or a huge black bear.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Hopps said:


> One of my good friends used to live in the Santa Cruz mountains with a nice herd of goats. They raised a few dogs in the mountains so they are very wildlife savvy (the dogs). She taught the dogs to disengage and avoid mountain lions that come onto their property. The mountain lion that frequented their house was very hungry and would only come by if it was having bad luck. Easily jumped the 7-8 ft fence and grabbed a young goat. Even with guns they would never confront it.
> 
> Another friend never used their garage. One day they saw through a window 3 creatures were living in the garage. It was a female mountain lion and 2 cubs. Cops and animal control did a 180 when they saw the little ones. They literally ended up buying 20 lbs of meat and throwing it in there to keep them in the garage and they eventually left on their own (too much ruckus). Spooky stuff.


I really love seeing wild animals in the wild but I'd whistle a few bullets over their heads if they were after my livestock.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

brittanyS said:


> There are mountain lions/bears in the woods surrounding the sheep farm where I go for herding. They keep Anatolian Shepherds with the sheep and those dogs have successfully scared away coyotes, bears, and mountain lions on more than one occasion. There are at least two livestock guardian dogs in each pasture.


Coyotes will run away from most large/aggressive dogs (they're too smart for needless confrontation), bears generally want nothing to do with multiple barking/harassing dogs (black bears anyways) but I wouldn't mess with a Grizz or cougar, dogs or no dogs. That's a serious predator.


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## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

wolfy dog said:


> If you allow them to take a young goat and don't do anything, you are merely providing a feeding station that acclimates them more to humans and thus increasing the risk for a confrontation. Same by feeding them meat in the garage. Why not harass them to leave? If the cubs are old enough to walk, they should leave and made afraid of people and not associate them with food.


Interesting valid point you got....


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## Hopps (Dec 5, 2021)

wolfy dog said:


> If you allow them to take a young goat and don't do anything, you are merely providing a feeding station that acclimates them more to humans and thus increasing the risk for a confrontation. Same by feeding them meat in the garage. Why not harass them to leave? If the cubs are old enough to walk, they should leave and made afraid of people and not associate them with food.


The goat situation: Auto lights, dogs barking, close to human activity and lots of gunshots every night. Any normal mountain lion would be scared off. The ones that take the goats are extremely desperate and most likely emaciated. They’ve lived there for about 20 years, had a handful of sightings across their property (500~) acres. Avoiding a desperate mountain lion is the right call when possible, as we can see in that article, they don’t hesitate. It is not legal here to kill one when they harm domestic animals. It’s an unnecessary risk and advised by the wildlife dept (in their very specific situation). 
Garage situation: harassing a mother mountain lion with cubs sounds like a death sentence. After a week they were advised to let them be. They redid the garage shortly after.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

giebel said:


> Great story!I've spent a little time in Shast-Trinity visiting and it's a gorgeous and very isolated part of the state. I think a lot of people who have never been to California don't realize how many beautiful remote places we have beyond Big Sur or touristy parts of Tahoe or Yosemite.


🤫


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Hopps said:


> The goat situation: Auto lights, dogs barking, close to human activity and lots of gunshots every night. Any normal mountain lion would be scared off. The ones that take the goats are extremely desperate and most likely emaciated. They’ve lived there for about 20 years, had a handful of sightings across their property (500~) acres. Avoiding a desperate mountain lion is the right call when possible, as we can see in that article, they don’t hesitate. It is not legal here to kill one when they harm domestic animals. It’s an unnecessary risk and advised by the wildlife dept (in their very specific situation).
> Garage situation: harassing a mother mountain lion with cubs sounds like a death sentence. After a week they were advised to let them be. They redid the garage shortly after.


Hey Hopps, I'm not suggesting what they should have done in that situation nor do I have all the facts. 
But having owned horses, miniature horses, beef cattle, a donkey, chickens, peacocks, ostriches and farm dogs, I can say with surety that any animal trying to snatch my livestock would either see or feel the business end of a bullet.

Anything less than at least running it off just creates the illusion of a free safe meal at any time without consequences to create a habit that eventually will get it killed. Shoot, shut up and shovel.


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## Hopps (Dec 5, 2021)

WNGD said:


> Hey Hopps, I'm not suggesting what they should have done in that situation nor do I have all the facts.
> But having owned horses, miniature horses, beef cattle, a donkey, chickens, peacocks, ostriches and farm dogs, I can say with surety that any animal trying to snatch my livestock would either see or feel the business end of a bullet.
> 
> Anything less than at least running it off just creates the illusion of a free safe meal at any time without consequences to create a habit that eventually will get it killed. Shoot, shut up and shovel.


Yeah shooting mountain lions is 200% illegal in California, even if they’re chomping down on domestic animals. They’re also in an extra weird situation because some parts of their property is “shared” with the state park. They have to work with park rangers all the time. Very messy situation all around sadly. They’ve pretty much never had mountain lions come up to the main property in the past 20 years. The mountain lions avoid it since there are hiking trails that go near by. They didn’t interfere because they had a gut feeling, there was something strange about it. But they do shoot all the coyotes, it’s been troubling because their numbers have been increasing. They’re out shooting 3-5 times a week and lost one of their dogs to them. It’s been getting tougher and tougher, animals are getting more desperate.

edit: it took all their impulse control to let that baby goat go. They were really disheartened. The babies were only 3 weeks old. I believe to combat this, they got some llamas.


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

xthine said:


> ... and a Fido Pro sling. I hope not to use any of those while we’re out.


I tried to read this without my glasses and was wondering what a Fido Poo Sling was. Kind of like a chuck-it but for dog poop?


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Hopps said:


> Yeah shooting mountain lions is 200% illegal in California, even if they’re chomping down on domestic animals. They’re also in an extra weird situation because some parts of their property is “shared” with the state park. They have to work with park rangers all the time. Very messy situation all around sadly. They’ve pretty much never had mountain lions come up to the main property in the past 20 years. The mountain lions avoid it since there are hiking trails that go near by. They didn’t interfere because they had a gut feeling, there was something strange about it. But they do shoot all the coyotes, it’s been troubling because their numbers have been increasing. They’re out shooting 3-5 times a week and lost one of their dogs to them. It’s been getting tougher and tougher, animals are getting more desperate.
> 
> edit: it took all their impulse control to let that baby goat go. They were really disheartened. The babies were only 3 weeks old. I believe to combat this, they got some llamas.


A llama would do it. Or a guard donkey.....a donkey will stomp a cougar. A friend of mine has one with her goats and the local coyotes don't even bother.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

The California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 (Proposition 117) legally classified mountain lions as a "specially protected mammal". It is unlawful to take, injure, possess, transport, import, or sell any mountain lion or any part or product thereof. This status and other statutes prohibit the Department from developing hunting season or take limits for lions. The act established certain exemptions from that prohibition. Mountain lions may be killed only 1) if a depredation permit is issued to take a specific lion that has killed livestock or pets; 2) to preserve public safety; or 3) to protect listed bighorn sheep.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

wolfy dog said:


> Maybe my next dog should be an Anatolian instead of small breed.


A Schipperke can do all that for you lmao


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

WNGD said:


> A llama would do it. Or a guard donkey.....a donkey will stomp a cougar. A friend of mine has one with her goats and the local coyotes don't even bother.


I've written about the donkey at our local hobby farm a couple of times... He is awesome


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## CactusWren (Nov 4, 2018)

A neighbor of mine in Scottsdale (Arizona) has a mountain lion mounted on his wall. He says he thought it was going for his young son and took it down. If I had a gun and a cougar was going for my son, or even my dog, I probably would have done the same. Which is not to say I completely believe the story


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Great job by Erin, Eva’s owner. After Erin was initially injured by the cat she stayed In the fight and saved her dog. The two of them are a great team. I‘ve impulsively taken off without bear spray or any deterrent a few times, let alone a first aid kit. I need to do a better job of keeping some extras in my vehicles just in case.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

CactusWren said:


> A neighbor of mine in Scottsdale (Arizona) has a mountain lion mounted on his wall. He says he thought it was going for his young son and took it down. If I had a gun and a cougar was going for my son, or even my dog, I probably would have done the same. Which is not to say I completely believe the story


Too smooth of a story


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## CactusWren (Nov 4, 2018)

wolfy dog said:


> Too smooth of a story


No warning shot or anything, apparently!


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## CEMC (May 2, 2020)

I think the OP story is a great example of what human and a dog that are devoted to each other are all about. Alone neither had a chance against a cougar but together they survived showing why the relationship between human and dog (wolf) started so long ago and endures to this day. 
The story could have ended differently if one or the other had not had the courage to fight and I believe that both should be commended for their bravery.


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## xthine (Nov 9, 2018)

davewis said:


> I tried to read this without my glasses and was wondering what a Fido Poo Sling was. Kind of like a chuck-it but for dog poop?


Haha! An effective repellent is what that would be.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

Haven't been on this forum in a bit but wanted to comment on the story.

I've gotten around and had close encounters with pretty much every large animal in North America except for the polar bear and jaguar. On foot and with dogs, I've seen wolverine, cougar (aka mountain lion, puma), brown bear (aka grizzly bear), black bear (many of these), coy-wolf (many), wolf, coyote, bison, moose, elk, Dall sheep, mountain goat, and I'm probably forgetting some. 

After reading this story and hearing the interview, it strikes me more as "woman saves dog" rather than the other way around. Knowing cougar, this one would more than likely have taken tail and run given a chance as soon as faced with the dog and woman--- they are the type of animal that will sneak up and attack a large animal but generally don't want to stay and fight. 

The last thing I want is for my dogs to go and attack a wild animal unless that wild animal is absolutely going to attack me or is attacking me. 

I've chatted with bear-dog hunters (hunt bears with hounds) and they routinely lose hounds to bear attack- well can't blame the bear they chase the bear down, and corner it the bear is in mortal fear for his/her life. If we see black bear, I may allow my dogs to run it off (like if the bears around my livestock) but not engage. Generally, I call the dogs and we go our separate ways. 

The dog came up and made herself a target. She then became a liability and the woman was in far greater danger saving her dog than she ever was before the dog came along (my opinion based on multiple versions of this story). 

I love malinois and they are my breed, but they are not livestock guardian dogs and I'd never want one to engage (attack) a wild animal unnecessarily. The dog is extremely lucky to be alive. The woman? She probably would have been fine without the dog and was in far greater danger with her.


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## Squidwardp (Oct 15, 2019)

Not a dog involved this time, but reportedly, 9 year old girl in NE Washington state, got attacked by a young male cougar, bloodied up and put in intensive care, but survived, which is pretty miraculous. Usually when a big cat gets hold of something it regards as prey, especially with disparity of strength between a cougar and a child, it is game over. This happened about 70 miles from Spokane. Cougar was later killed, and tested negative for rabies.


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## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

Muskeg said:


> Haven't been on this forum in a bit but wanted to comment on the story.
> 
> I've gotten around and had close encounters with pretty much every large animal in North America except for the polar bear and jaguar. On foot and with dogs, I've seen wolverine, cougar (aka mountain lion, puma), brown bear (aka grizzly bear), black bear (many of these), coy-wolf (many), wolf, coyote, bison, moose, elk, Dall sheep, mountain goat, and I'm probably forgetting some.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your knowledgable advice, experience and perspective. Really enjoyed reading the thoughtful post.
Thanks again!


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## Mannix (12 mo ago)

Hero dog Eva that defended her owner from a mountain lion dies
Poor Hero Dog.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Eva suffered a seizure before dying, so it's obvious the severe head injuries caused by the mountain lion were to blame. 😥 









Eva, the brave dog who saved her owner from mountain lion attack, has died — rest in peace


Eva, the brave dog who saved her owner from mountain lion attack, has died — rest in peace




www.theanimalclub.net


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## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

This makes me so sad. But is also a reminder that we should all go prepared when hiking in the forests.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

So very sad....the brain apparently was inflamed and the fractures causing pressure.....RIP hero girl!

Lee


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Don't mess with the big cats. RIP


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

My friend who uses my dogs in her program, told me that Uzi found a bobcat, and was going after it, but she called her back and she came. I'd be scared to death if there were mountain lions out there. I know this is not the norm, for an attack like that. But then I have a fully loaded Uzi, who is sweet and gentle, but will chase bobcats. My friend informs me there are now 2 bobcats. I think a GSD could hold it own with a bobcat, but who wants to find out?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Oh, she died. How awful. I feel so bad for her owner. She didn't do anything wrong. It's just one of those horrible tragic events that sometimes happen. Maybe having bear spray on her at the time may have made the difference, but how would you know, if you have been in that area forever and never had a problem? Good dog, though. She did good. I am sorry she did not make it.


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## Shefali (Aug 12, 2020)

giebel said:


> Quite a story and I hope the much loved dog recovers. Has your dog ever protected you? If not what leads you to think they would or wouldn't?Any other thoughts about the story?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I hope that brave dog recovers and so does the owner. She was also pretty brave. But I also feel sorry for the cougar - it was obviously hungry and injured. Probably most merciful thing is to kill it as humanely as possible. Once it starts attacking people you can't let it continue to do so. But also feel bad for it.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

selzer said:


> My friend who uses my dogs in her program, told me that Uzi found a bobcat, and was going after it, but she called her back and she came. I'd be scared to death if there were mountain lions out there. I know this is not the norm, for an attack like that. But then I have a fully loaded Uzi, who is sweet and gentle, but will chase bobcats. My friend informs me there are now 2 bobcats. I think a GSD could hold it own with a bobcat, but who wants to find out?


Bobcats will immediately tree if they have the chance. My last female treed a couple at the cottage where we rarely see them.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

WNGD said:


> Bobcats will immediately tree if they have the chance. My last female treed a couple at the cottage where we rarely see them.


And that's somewhat of a surprise too, because, having been very up close to a bobcat previously, I wouldn't give a dog - even a large dog - much of a chance against one!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

tim_s_adams said:


> And that's somewhat of a surprise too, because, having been very up close to a bobcat previously, I wouldn't give a dog - even a large dog - much of a chance against one!


If it's not a prey situation attacking the dog (primarily for food) most wild animals will choose flight instead of the chance to get hurt itself, even in victory. Bears prefer to run long before you even know they were there, coyotes will run, even cougars will run as long as they can and then tree. They don't have the capacity to out-run dogs. Only after the hunter arrives will the cougar sometimes come down and fight through the hounds to run again.

Bobcats, fangs and claws or not, are just medium kitties and have no interest in fighting a dog, just nothing in it for them. Now a ****, those bad boys prefer to tree as well but can do serious damage if caught. I've seen dogs kill 'em, I've seen dogs torn up.


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## CactusWren (Nov 4, 2018)

WNGD said:


> Now a ****, those bad boys prefer to tree as well but can do serious damage if caught. I've seen dogs kill 'em, I've seen dogs torn up.


The profanity filter on this site is ...something.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

CactusWren said:


> The profanity filter on this site is ...something.


Yup, I guess I should say raccoon ....


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## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

Raccoons can be NASTY!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Frodo killed a raccoon. I big one. I saved it for the health department, but by the time they came to pick it up, because I wasn't going to put a possibly rabid **** in my freezer, it was too far gone. But even though he was UTD on his rabies, they had me have the vet give him a booster, and we quarantined him at my house. No problem. Scary. But we were fine.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Harley killed a small rcoon a few years ago but I had a bitch torn up pretty bad by one years ago while I was away at work and that dog was way more aggressive than he is.

We used to see them 3-4 nights a week on our 11:00 walk but with hundreds of trees nearby, they always climb out of the way before we get there and just stare down mournfully. They'll virtually never vicious unless cornered or caught. Then, look out! They'll flip on their backs and just tear away or latch onto a face. Nasty little things when they're ticked off.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Muskeg said:


> Haven't been on this forum in a bit but wanted to comment on the story.
> 
> I've gotten around and had close encounters with pretty much every large animal in North America except for the polar bear and jaguar. On foot and with dogs, I've seen wolverine, cougar (aka mountain lion, puma), brown bear (aka grizzly bear), black bear (many of these), coy-wolf (many), wolf, coyote, bison, moose, elk, Dall sheep, mountain goat, and I'm probably forgetting some.
> 
> ...


The couple stories I’ve seen stated that the cougar attacked her from behind. If accurate, she was the intended target. Take the dog out the scenario and the cougar may just as easily focused it’s efforts on her. 

Cougars are fairly common here, I’ve had them on my property and my parents land was “polluted“ with them. I’ve discovered one close by as I was felling huge tamarack trees. For it to stick around with all that going on was weird. I have spotted them twice previously setting up to cut, however they left quickly once saws were started. I’ve never had one come at me or mine, however I’m aware they’re not opposed to targeting humans, even so, I’d much rather take my chances out with them vs living in town.

I love my malinois too, he‘s a character. My kids say he is the weirdest dog they’ve known, but it is meant to be taken in a good way.


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## NadDog24 (May 14, 2020)

Nadja took off after a raccoon a couple months ago when I let her out to potty. By the time I realized what it was she was already on top of it so I frantically called her off (thank goodness for recall) she was unhurt but my cousin’s dogs have gotten tangled up with one on more than one occasion, their corgi got pretty cut up. Those ****s can be really nasty when they are provoked.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Big ***** can be 20+ pounds of angry too


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## CEMC (May 2, 2020)

I think we all agree that if a cougar stalks and decides to attack you will not know it until its on top of you. I had one stalk me to within a few yards from where I was sitting and I was totally unaware until it intentionally gave away its presence with a loud scream. I was hunting deer at the time and all my senses were on high alert but I never heard as much as rustle. I don't know what made it change its mind but I was lucky. 
The woman in the story was saved by her dog who smelled or saw the cougar before it charged her. Unfortunately she didn't have anything to defend herself or her dog which is where she failed and where the story teaches a valuable lesson. Going into any area inhabited by cougars, bears or bad people without effective protection is a very bad idea.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Just for clarity (not sure it matters much in this case), the Mal didn't see or hear the cougar either. It came back due to its owner's screaming.

"Wilson began walking her two-year-old dog Eva along a path when a mountain lion approached and swiped at Wilson, injuring her left shoulder. She screamed, and the dog, who had been walking ahead, immediately returned to defend her owner."

You have very little chance of seeing a cougar that is actually stalking you; carry a gun (if legal), carry a knife, carry bear spray, be hyper aware in cougar/bear country. If yu have a dog with you and see one, it likely means business


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## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

WNGD said:


> You have very little chance of seeing a cougar that is actually stalking you; carry a gun (if legal), carry a knife, carry bear spray, be hyper aware in cougar/bear country.


Since I read about this event I have been looking into what kind of knife to buy to carry with me. Came upon this article:









The 19 Types of Survival and Outdoor Knives to Know


Types of survival knives including assisted opening, boot, neck, combat, EMS, Bowie, and Buck knives, plus pros/cons of each.




www.primalsurvivor.net


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Rosebud99 said:


> Since I read about this event I have been looking into what kind of knife to buy to carry with me. Came upon this article:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If you're in the woods (where it won't look too weird as opposed to your neighbourhood stroll where you'll scare little kids)
a 5" straight (fixed) blade in a sheath will do the trick. You won't have time to open a folding knife in your pocket. Bear spray is more fool proof if you don't aim it at yourself by mistake and you can hang it around a lanyard but they don't have a lot of range.


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## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

WNGD said:


> If you're in the woods
> 
> a 5" straight (fixed) blade in a sheath will do the trick. You won't have time to open a folding knife in your pocket. Bear spray is more fool proof if you don't aim it at yourself by mistake and you can hang it around a lanyard but they don't have a lot of range.


Yea, I'm definitely talking in the forest. Right now our forests are closed because of fire danger, but we do have cougars, bobcats, coyotes, and black bear. I want to be better prepared when we'e able to hike again. Thanks.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

There are a lot of bear stories where the dogs help save owners lives. There are plenty of bear attacks that attack human and no dogs are around. Bisons are known to attack and kill people if they feel threatened and to close. Not much of a surprise that if a wild animal perceives a threat whether over food , Cubs, sickness etc - even if there is no real threat it will attack. Keep your distance with wild animals if they feel your are in their bubble it can make them feel threatened. Man is a big threat to wild animals by just existing. It’s also not a surprise a dog from inception and purpose was born to help man. I understand there are dogs that are devoid of that type of natural instinct which It should not ever be bred out a herding breed it goes along in what they do and traits that make them herding dog along with that uncanny one of kind type of human like intelligence. I watched some videos about sharks - it’s very interesting on body language how a shark will see a person as prey/weakness. It’s where eye contact/body language is important.

They say do not turn your back on bears - this video at end of clip will show you why-when you see this gsd turning its back on the bear and the bear was about to pounce on the gsd - owner saves the gsd. They both gsd and owner helping each other out and were very lucky in this instance that the possible timing rules in their favor.
End of clip-


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Interesting articles about the Hollywood Hills cougar.Speculation is in his senior years he's taking advantage of more easily captured prey - leashed little dogs.He's just been captured.




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