Your Dog May Not Save You From a Bear—He May Bring It Straight to You

If you spend enough time in the woods, you learn one rule pretty quickly: don't count on luck when you can prepare instead.

That applies especially when you're hiking or hunting in bear country with a dog.

A new look at hundreds of human-bear encounters suggests that man's best friend may not be the four-legged bodyguard many outdoorsmen assume he is.

In fact, sometimes the dog is the one that starts the trouble.

Researchers examined 326 reported encounters involving domestic dogs and black, brown, or polar bears. Dogs initiated the encounter in 54% of those cases. Fifty-six dogs were killed, while 170 people were injured and five people died.

That's a sobering set of numbers.

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The Dog Doesn't Always Chase the Bear Away

We've all heard the stories.

A dog spots a bear. The dog charges. The bear runs. The owner walks away feeling pretty good about having a loyal protector.

But researchers found that the reality is considerably different.

In many encounters, dogs fled or simply watched while the bear attacked. Dogs actually helped their owners in only about one-third of the attacks studied.

Even worse, an unleashed dog can turn a distant bear sighting into a close-range problem.

Researchers found cases in which dogs flushed bears from cover and then led them directly back to their owners. In those situations, owners were injured 70% of the time.

That's not protection.

That's bringing the problem home.

Your Dog May Think He's Doing His Job

The important thing to understand is that your dog doesn't know he's supposed to avoid a 400-pound wild animal.

He sees something unfamiliar.

He investigates.

He chases.

And the bear may see the dog as a threat.

Bears and wild canids have competed with each other for food and territory for thousands of years. Your well-loved Lab, hound, or mixed breed may be a member of the family to you, but a bear isn't going to recognize that distinction.

To the bear, it's simply another animal getting into its space.

That's why assuming your dog will "handle" the bear is a bad bet.

The Real Lesson: Don't Go Into the Woods Unprepared

None of this means you have to leave your dog at home.

The researchers aren't saying that.

The risk of a bear encounter remains low, and the study's lead researcher continues to hike with his own dogs. The point is that you should manage the risk instead of pretending it doesn't exist. 

That means following some old-fashioned rules that make sense:

Keep your dog under control. A leash is the safest option, particularly where bears are known to be present.

Make noise. Talk with your hiking partners rather than moving silently through thick brush and surprising a bear.

Stay with other people. Larger groups generally provide more deterrence than a lone hiker.

Carry an effective deterrent. Researchers found that people carrying a deterrent were far less likely to be injured. In the encounters examined, not one person who had a deterrent was injured.

And perhaps most importantly:

Don't assume your dog will save you.

Don't Make a Bad Situation Worse

There's another lesson here that every longtime dog owner understands.

If your dog gets into trouble, your first instinct is going to be to help him.

That's what we do.

But in the study, 102 people tried to intervene when a bear attacked their dog. About half of those people were injured.

Your dog is family. Nobody disputes that.

But running toward an angry bear without the right equipment isn't bravery. It's adding another victim to the situation.

The better approach is to avoid creating the situation in the first place.

Common Sense Still Works

You don't need to panic every time you see a bear warning at a trailhead.

Bear attacks are rare.

But rare doesn't mean impossible.

The outdoors rewards people who pay attention. Keep your dog controlled. Know where you are. Watch the trail ahead. Make your presence known. Carry the proper deterrent. And don't mistake confidence for preparedness.

After all, you don't wear a seat belt because you expect to crash every time you get behind the wheel.

You wear it because one bad day is enough.

The same principle applies in bear country.

Bring the dog. Enjoy the woods. Take in the scenery.

Just don't assume your four-legged companion is a bear-defense system.

Sometimes, he may be the one ringing the dinner bell.

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