Small dogs often have barks that are worse than their bites, and this dog’s overconfidence almost got itself into some real trouble.
The dogs name in the video is Pipa, and we know that because her owner starts screaming “Pipa” in a high-pitched shrill when the dog is “knocking on Heaven’s door.” A black bear comes into the backyard of the owner’s house, and the little yappy dog wanted to assert itself and let the bear know that this territory was taken.
So without even thinking about it, the dog takes off to chase the black bear away, and as crazy as it sounds, the bruin actually gets spooked and starts to run from the small dog. The bear takes off in a full sprint away from the four-legged-fur ball and dives into the woods, with the dog proudly standing at the edge of the yard staring down where the bear entered.
However, once the bear gets into the brush, it’s able to think for a second and remember that it’s an apex predator, and decides to turn the tables on the small dog. The black bear comes barreling out of the woods, and Pipa starts running for his/her life. All while the owner of the dog is screaming in fear that her pet might become the bear’s next meal.
The small dog luckily races back to their owner in the nick of time and narrowly avoids the black bear, who stops dead in its tracks when it sees the human standing in the doorway and yelling. The person filming the whole thing then slams the door shut once their pet is safely inside, yelling:
“Holy crap.”
Black bears wouldn’t normally view a dog as prey, though they are known to sometimes be opportunistic. It’s not known why the bear was hanging around close to this home, but if it’s anything like other species of bears, they were most likely lured in by the smell of food, open containers of garbage, or even a bird feeder.
Bears, for the most part, are not confrontational, unless there’s food on the line or if a mother bear’s cubs are involved. It’s possible that the bear in the video just wandered up to the home, but any sort of possible food source could have brought it close by and would have increased the chance of an interaction between the bear and this yappy dog.
The video was posted on Instagram by the account “Nature is Metal,” and included this caption below:
“Most interactions between black bears and dogs that lead to aggression are likely defensive rather than predatory. A black bear might feel threatened if a dog barks at it or approaches it too closely, especially if the bear has cubs. In these situations, a black bear might lash out in self-defense…
In this particular encounter, the bear’s chase of the pet dog may have been a response to curiosity, confusion, or a perceived threat. Whether driven by territoriality or a reaction to the dog’s behavior, the incident highlights the complex and often misunderstood nature of black bears.”
Take a look at the heart-pounding video below:
