Dog Shields Mount Tam Hikers From Deadly Snake

If it wasn’t for their dog’s instincts, a San Francisco couple would probably have spent Father’s Day in the hospital.

Mighty Shakira is being hailed a hero by her owners, who say the 13-month-old Anatolian Shepherd foiled a potentially deadly rattlesnake attack on Sunday at Mount Tamalpais State Park, San Francisco Chronicle outdoors columnist Tom Stienstra reports.

John Forsyth of San Francisco and his wife, Diane Castanaon, were about a quarter mile up the Matt Davis Trail when the dog spotted them in their tracks. 

“Shakira suddenly jumped backwards and went immediately into a stiff alert posture with her tail and ears up,” Forsyth told the Chroncile. “She kept backing up into my wife and would not let her pass. My wife looked over Shakira’s shoulder and spotted this snake right on the trail exactly where she was planning her next foot strike.”

Without barking or growling, Shakira stared down the snake, preventing it from from going into a coil. The couple and dog backed away, giving Forsyth enough breathing room to snap off this photo. He threw a few small rocks at its rattling tail and it slithered away.

Shakira was on high alert for the remainder of the hike, Forsyth said.

“I have learned that Shakira’s instincts guided her to protect us from a dangerous situation as opposed to confronting and engaging the danger,” Forsyth told the Chronicle. ”We are very proud of her and grateful she is part of the family.”

The incident is the second potentially life-saving action involving man's best friend in Marin in less than a week.

On June 10, a yellow labrador guide dog in training alerted two employees of a speeding car in reverse bearing down on them on a San Rafael sidewalk - an incident captured on video that has received national media coverage.

The employees and guide dog escaped without injuries.