Small dogs often think they’re much bigger than they are, which gives them lots of extra confidence. When something scary occurs, they want to be the ones to step up and protect their families. A 13-year-old Shih-Poo named Dash planned to do exactly that when a mountain lion approached his home.
Dash’s mom recorded the entire interaction between Dash and the massive feline. Even though only glass was in between them, Dash showed no fear while his human panicked. But in the end, it seems Dash wanted to be friends with the big cat rather than pick a fight.
Dog Faces Mountain Lion
When Sarah Bole returned home one day, she was shocked to see a mountain lion standing outside her patio door. Dash was sitting inside, staring out at the large animal. Bole knew mountain lions were common in Grand Lake, Colorado, but she had never seen one in person.
Bole didn’t know what to do, so she recorded the bizarre interaction between the cat and her dog. At first, the mountain lion stared at Dash but kept his distance. Then, the feline slowly crept toward the house until the dog was as close as possible.
As the cat got closer, Bole panicked. She was too scared to move, so she called for Dash to come to her. Throughout the entire video, she keeps calling Dash, but the dog doesn’t budge. He doesn’t even acknowledge that his human is speaking.
“I thought it was very unusual that my little dog was sitting at the door like that and he didn’t come greet me or anything and then I looked up and the mountain lion was frozen on the patio in mid-step,” Bole said.
Mountain Lion Is Just Curious
Eventually, the mountain lion pawed at the glass, but he never seemed to want to hurt the dog. Dash never flinched or backed away. Both animals were just curious about each other and unsure what to do next. Dash wagged his tail several times, but he never barked in the mountain lion’s face.
“At no time was the lion aggressive, but rather it was just as curious as my dog to figure out what was on the other side of the glass,” Bole said. “Although I was a bit shaken, I don’t feel I was in any danger and the lion was curious about its own reflection and the dog.”
After about two minutes, the mountain lion turned and walked away. At that moment, Dash sprang to life. He started barking and wagging his tail like crazy as if to beg the animal to come back. Even though Dash wasn’t afraid, Bole was spooked after the event. She’s grateful that her pup is safe.
Bole posted the video she took on Facebook, and it gained over 122,000 views. Many people were concerned that she could’ve done more to protect her dog, but she reminds them that it’s hard to think straight when facing a shocking situation like that. It was terrifying in the moment, but now it’s a cool experience that she can look back on.
Toledo, United States.
