A family dog fended off a cougar that was about to attack a boy, allowing him to escape safely inside. Officers shot the cougar, and the dog is still alive.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/angel-the-golden-retriver-tussels-with-cougar-saves-boys-life.html

Dogs do rule.

Thanks for sharing!

Awesome story, good thing they shot that thing in time, didn't sound like the dog had much time left. If I lived up there I would be carrying some heat.

That's an amazing dog for sure, it's too bad the mountain lion had to be shot but obviously they had no choice.

Someone I forwarded that link to also mentioned that it was unfortunate that the cougar was killed as it hadn't actually attacked a person, just allegedly intended to. I agreed that it was unfortunate, but I also told him I'd have shoot it myself if it were attacking my dog.

The creating force, whatever it may be, got it right (for the most part) when dogs were created.

I'll admit something that maybe some dog owners can understand:

Yesterday I popped in the new Wii Sports Resort game for the first time, and just wanted to give a quick try to each sport. One of them is Frisbee-throwing at targets, but "your dog" fetches the Frisbee after each throw.

It really made me miss Gus when the dog would be waiting enthusiastically for you to throw the Frisbee. When he brought it back, he would get excited when you hovered the pointer over him to take the Frisbee back.....bowing down and wagging his tail and barking. They really nailed the enthusiasm down.

I played for about 45 mins and didn't care as much for the Frisbee throwing as I did "playing" with the dog. We thought we would wait a while longer so we could get in one more trip, but I dunno if that's gonna happen!

I told Joyce afterward that "he" did so good I was going to give him a ride and get a hamburger for him!

I understand that perfectly Mark. Their unconditional love and their joy in the simple pleasures of life should be a lesson to all humans.

My guy never saved me from a cougar but he does refuse to let Sharon or I go swimming. He will swim for hours on end himself but if we go in the water he barks and whines. Go out to your waste and he will swim out and try to grab you by the shorts and bring you back to shore. While I commend him on his concern, the claws from his panicked "doggie paddle" swim at my legs do more harm than the water.

I guess if you don't have webbed toes, you have no business being in the water. He also, gets upset if I go up too high on a ladder or trees and such.

That is what I call unconditional love.

FYI, I did a really good job playing Frisbee yesterday as well. I'm just sayin'.

::Scratches JP behind the ears::

Whut a good boy! What a GOOOOD BOOOOY!

:leg kicks the floor:

Thanks, but, seriously, "I can has cheezburger?"

I tend to keep cheese away from dogs. Wicked farts will ensue.


(Almost as bad as the smells Ken's cat made when I used to let her lick out my yogurt cups.)

Which was all the time.

Maybe the yogurt was cursed?

I have posted on several occaisions bout my German Short Haired Pointer - Let me take this opportunity to say that as a frisbee player, he is nothing short of spectacular when it comes to leaping. I have also bragged about his intelligence - the most spectacular leaps come when I send him out before throwing the frisbee. Put him on a "down" just using hand signals and then relase him just as I throw the frisbee. HE will go full bore until he almost collapses.....I love my dog.

So a few days later another kid was saved by a cougar, this time by his mother.

Not a single "Moms rule" post, just a lot of cougar jokes. Oh well.

When I was a little kid we had a Golden Lab and then a Beagle in my teens. I LOVED having a dog. But since my childhood, life has prevented me from ever having one again. Work, travel, where I lived, etc, etc.
Now at 40, I'm married and have 4 kids (6, 4, 2 & Apr/10!). Last fall my wife and I decided to move out of our small house in town and we bought an acreage, complete with 17 acres of pasture and a barn. We want to give our kids the best "down-to-earth" upbringing possible. The future has horses (for 4H), a few goats, chickens, cats, etc. But most important . . . we're getting a dog!!!!
After a lot of research, we have decided on a Maremma Sheepdog to care for us and our animals and with much love in return.

We have one on order from a breeder for this spring and we can hardly wait!

I have never heard of a Mareema? Where did they originate? They look a lot like a Great Pyrenees. There a couple of farms near my house where they raise fairly exotic goats and sheep. They ended up with GP's to ward off coyote kills.

I was going to say that it looks fairly close to one of the dogs we had when I was growing up. Ours didn't have quite that thick of a coat. We never knew exactly what he was, but someone suggested he was a White Lab/Great Pyrenees mix.

Great looking dog, they look very similar to our neighbors 3 Great Pyrenees's.

Its a little small, but it will do for a dog.

Dogs love territory. Ours used to get up with the sun every morning and do a walkabout of our 50 acre home farm.

Fred, you didn't have a big, obnoxious Rhode Island Red chicken on your farm that tormented your dog, did you?

The Maremma originates from Italy and is a very close cousin to the GP. They are slightly smaller, barks a little less (so they say), and isn't quite as interested in acquiring new territory, generally staying within the boundies it has been shown (trained) in. The thick coat apparently knows no cold weather boundry. That's great for the cold Alberta winters. As long as you provide it with shade in the summer and shelter in winter. We have a barn if it so wishes to choose.
It's a gaurd dog with 2000 years of natural instinct to protect it's "family". Even to kill wolves if needed (not many around here), but we do have coyotes.

They are great looking dogs. I have never heard of the breed either, but I am no expert. Smart move getting two of them, if they are herders, I'll bet they like to keep busy.

We're only getting one. The pic was an example that happened to have two. I don't know who wants a dog more, my kids or me?!

Update . . .

We got our pooch! He's half Maremma (mom) and half Great Pyrenees (dad). He's 1 year old and 70lbs. Should top 100+ when fully grown. We got him 4 days ago. He loves our family and has really taken to our acreage. As soon as we have him familier to our property, we hope to let him off the leash and let him freely enjoy the place.
Sorry about the size of the pics.

Beautiful dogs!

My extended family in Toronto have two Shar-peis (the Chinese breed a bit like a Chow but with shorter fur and lots of skin. .). I'm wild about them.

Alan

He's a beautiful dog. Congratulations on the new family member.

I just love dogs. We don't have any, but instead have three cats due to our lifestyle. (And I just love our kitties!) However, I walk to work every day and I always walk by the unofficial dog park so that I can see the dogs out and playing. Always makes me smile. I'm usually too late going home, but it's nice when I catch them on the way back.

It's been since my early teens since I had a dog. I 40 now, and my life has been blessed in so many ways. It's now time to share that with our new member of the family. Sometimes I think they actually gives more selflessly back to us!

Well it's been a year now that we've had our Doberman Leia, I think it has been one of the best decisions we've made as a family. She's literally like one of our kids now, she recently got her first AKC Rally title as well as her CGC and NTD (novice trick dog) Definitely the smartest dog I have ever owned. Now we are looking to get another Dobe, but a male this time around.
I thought I would share a couple fun short videos, my wife likes to teach her tricks while I focus on obediance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiDDPKb5vVo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vihBW9bEP1o

Very, very cute and smart. Gotta love our dogs! What type of obedience training do you use? Clicker training?

I've been trying to get another service dog ever since Kutter, my last service dog, passed away 5 years ago. I'm in the "acceptance phase" now. I just had an interview on Monday but it didn't go well, which really sucks. I had been looking forward to it for a while.

My wife uses the clicker and treats and it works really well for her, I try to just use praise and play, she's more successful.

Good luck in getting your next service dog, they are really special animals and make great companions, I doubt if most people realize the amount of training those dogs get.

Has she taught you how to do the dishes and the laundry with this method yet?

That's so cool, Michael. I always wanted to have a "good" dog, but we have a German Shorthair Pointer instead.

Yeah, except I don't get the treats as much



Lol Tom, I'm sure you realize it, but you've actually got a very intelligent and trainable breed.

All breeds have their outliers.

If by "outliers" you mean "retards", then, yes.

.

The term coming into vogue is "intellectually disadvantaged". Isn't that so precious?

I love dogs, have 2 fawn pugs that are more important to me than most family members.

PC is BS!

It doesn't sound so much PC as a way to make fun of them without them understanding.

I would probably like Regina Spektor more if she weren't so musically disadvantaged ...

:runs away snickering:

Thankfully I can hear the tone in text! I'll pass on your compliment!

Yeah, I don't always give the winkie emoticon when I'm being snarky.

Good pickup on the text tone. Your mastery of context means you're one step closer to being a real boy, Charles.

Maybe my idle legs are affecting my brain causing it to become retarded.