For better and for worse, our canine companions can be absolutely fearless. Perhaps that, combined with the seemingly unwavering loyalty, is why we have given them the nickname man’s best friend.
But sometimes our beloved fur babies are just as capable of the same follies as we humans. Sometimes, they can get a little too caught up in the moment and exhibit serious overconfidence.
Take the very feisty Labradoodle, Zelda, in this video, for instance. When a massive black bear came into her yard, she had absolutely no qualms about barking her little head off like a maniac and charging right at this mighty apex predator to give them a piece of her mind.
That was pretty intense, to say the least! Zelda’s human mama can be heard saying, “Oh my gosh, she’s going to die!” towards the climax of this wild encounter. Thankfully, both Zelda and this massive black bear were able to walk away from this skirmish unscathed.
Although truth be told, we don’t know that there was ever any real danger of Zelda hurting this black bear. And apparently, that was not a memo that Zelda received. She was only concerned about being a good little guard dog, no matter the intruder.
And she really did help that black bear off, chasing them all the way out into the middle of the street until the hulking creature was fully in retreat. Thankfully, this black bear never really put up a fight.
Related: Adorable Black Bear Hangs Out at Bird Feeder Like He’s a 300-Pound Hummingbird
As soon as Zelda was running around and frantically barking at them, they began to walk away, regarding her with disinterest.
Of course, Zelda was very proud of herself for defending her yard. You can see her tail wagging furiously as she trots back to her human mama with plenty of pep in her step.
What To Do if Your Dog Encounters a Bear
Even though bear attacks are incredibly rare in North America, of the ones that happened, many involved a dog that was not on a leash.
While our canine companions can smell bears and alert their humans about potential danger, a dog chasing after these creatures is asking for trouble.
If you do see a bear outside, do not approach the creature. You want to make sure that your dog remains calm and that you respect the bear’s space.
You do not want to try running away or making any sudden movements, because bears can run faster than 30 mph, meaning they can easily chase you and your dog down.
It’s a good idea to make sure that the bear has a way to leave and does not feel trapped where they are. And remember, the best encounter between a bear and a dog is the one that doesn’t happen at all.
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