06/26/2026
Please read and keep your dog on a leash. Big or small dogs, it doesn’t matter, if you don’t have total control to make your dog listen to you, keep it on a leash!! It can safe lives !
Are you a BearWise dog owner? If you own a dog and live in or travel to bear country, eventually your dog may encounter a bear. Understanding why some dog-bear encounters end peacefully and others end with dogs and people being injured or killed can help keep people, dogs and bears safe.
Bears don’t like to be barked at, chased or cornered. When bears feel threatened and don’t see an easy way to get away from “danger,” their natural instinct for self-preservation kicks in, and the bear will most likely defend itself. No matter how big and strong your dog is, pound for pound bears are much stronger and more powerful.
Research shows that dogs have been involved in the majority of incidents involving people and black bears. Many of those dogs were injured or killed; the people trying to protect their dogs were often injured too.
Find out why bears and dogs naturally don’t get along and how you and your dog can coexist in bear country. bearwise.org/bear-safety-tips/dogs-and-bears
