Wow! That bear was apparently in a good mood and just thought he would go ahead and give in to the dog, but I sure wouldn’t test his mood another time!
Brown bears and black bears can be quite “docile” if they aren’t cornered or protecting their cubs.
Not so for Grizzlies and Polar Bears. The dog would likely have ended his days early if he got into a tangle with one of this bear’s more antagonistic cousins.
I have heard that about black bears before. Yes, it would definitely have been a sad story if it would have been a Grizzly or Polar bear. I heard that Polar bears are even more aggressive than Grizzly’s.
Our little dachshunds would have made mincemeat out of that bear. Or at least, they would have tried. And I’m sure our toothless chihuahua would have joined in the fun.
I saw that video on the local News. It took place in New Jersey. I live on Long Island, the opposite side of New York City, where we have wild deer wandering, but not bears. The only way a bear could wander here, would be for it to wander from New Jersey, across the George Washington Bridge, or through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel, or across the Verrazano Bridge; without being noticed.
Then it would have to wander through the streets of Manhattan. Then across one of the many bridges into Brooklyn or Queens, and finally out here onto Long Island; without being noticed.
I think that means we shouldn’t expect to see any bears going through anyone’s garbage. The racoons are bad enough!
Where I grew up in NJ, we had deer, woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks, and birds in the backyard . . . but nary a bear! We must have had raccoons too, but I don’t remember seeing them. I did occasionally smell a skunk. (Pee-Yew!)
Sounds like where you are is much the same. Hope you had a good Fourth!
We also have seagulls and Canadian Geese.
About a year ago, I was walking through the parking lot of a nearby Walmart. I saw a guy I know tossing out breadcrumbs to feed the birds.
I called out in a joking tone, “Hey there! Watch your aim!”
As soon as I called out, I was surrounded by a gigantic flock of descending seagulls.
Now I wonder, what would happen if somebody tried to feed the bears, in a New Jersey parking lot?
Spirit Lights The Way 
Poor bear.
I wouldn’t want a bear in my backyard eating birdseed . . . but it must have been hungry. Hope it found something good to eat just around the corner.
Habitat loss is increasing encounters like this. And they don’t always have a happy ending.
That’s one brave dog!
Isn’t it? I was relieved to see it trotting back into frame at the end of the video. And glad that the exchange was less FIGHT and more FLIGHT.
I’m with Jill on this one. That dog was both brave and lucky!
A plucky pup! I heard on the news that it was a neighbor’s dog and that the homeowner is going to reward it with a steak.
Wow! That bear was apparently in a good mood and just thought he would go ahead and give in to the dog, but I sure wouldn’t test his mood another time!
Brown bears and black bears can be quite “docile” if they aren’t cornered or protecting their cubs.
Not so for Grizzlies and Polar Bears. The dog would likely have ended his days early if he got into a tangle with one of this bear’s more antagonistic cousins.
I have heard that about black bears before. Yes, it would definitely have been a sad story if it would have been a Grizzly or Polar bear. I heard that Polar bears are even more aggressive than Grizzly’s.
That’s my understanding ~> Polar Bears are Bad News Bears (but cuddly from a safe distance).
Was that a labrador? Wow! That dog has guts! I want to have one of those with me if ever I go hiking in Alaska.
I’m pretty sure it was a black lab . . . and brave. But not sure its bravado would work as well with a Grizzly Bear in Alaska.
But don’t let that stop you! 🙄
Ha ha! You’re probably right, Nancy. 😄
Wow to the dog! The dog defending his turf I get, but I didn’t know that bears would eat bird seed. Huh.
They are opportunistic omnivores. They will also drink “nectar” from hummingbird feeders.
Our little dachshunds would have made mincemeat out of that bear. Or at least, they would have tried. And I’m sure our toothless chihuahua would have joined in the fun.
As Jimmy D. would say: Hot Cha Cha Cha!
Oh boy, that’s funny. Been a long time since I’ve seen anything with Jimmy Durante.
Thought you might get a kick out of the clip. 😀
It’s all in the attitude!
Yes! Confidence can pay off in unexpected ways!
I saw that video on the local News. It took place in New Jersey. I live on Long Island, the opposite side of New York City, where we have wild deer wandering, but not bears. The only way a bear could wander here, would be for it to wander from New Jersey, across the George Washington Bridge, or through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel, or across the Verrazano Bridge; without being noticed.
Then it would have to wander through the streets of Manhattan. Then across one of the many bridges into Brooklyn or Queens, and finally out here onto Long Island; without being noticed.
I think that means we shouldn’t expect to see any bears going through anyone’s garbage. The racoons are bad enough!
Where I grew up in NJ, we had deer, woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks, and birds in the backyard . . . but nary a bear! We must have had raccoons too, but I don’t remember seeing them. I did occasionally smell a skunk. (Pee-Yew!)
Sounds like where you are is much the same. Hope you had a good Fourth!
We also have seagulls and Canadian Geese.
About a year ago, I was walking through the parking lot of a nearby Walmart. I saw a guy I know tossing out breadcrumbs to feed the birds.
I called out in a joking tone, “Hey there! Watch your aim!”
As soon as I called out, I was surrounded by a gigantic flock of descending seagulls.
Now I wonder, what would happen if somebody tried to feed the bears, in a New Jersey parking lot?
It might depend on whether the bears found the proffered food to be palatable. 😛
A fast, confident approach wins the day.
Exactly! No beating around the bush! 😆