A hunting party invited the chief's son and his dog to come along on their expedition. The son had no interest in hunting, and so tended the camp. The hunting party found the tracks of enemies, and fearing ambush, they did not return to camp, leaving the son to his fate. The dog told his master all that the hunters had said and done, but reassured him that he had nothing to fear. The dog promised to watch over him and to fight the enemy himself. Although he had been told not to look at the dog during the fight, when the combat began he could not restrain himself and took a peek. As a result the dog was slightly wounded. Nevertheless, both he and the dog returned to the fray immediately afterwards. The dog turned himself into a panther, and the two of them annihilated the enemy. They returned with the scalps to the village, and the hunting party was shamed. The panther-dog left for the woods, but told the son that he would always be there to help him, and that he would be able to foresee the approach of enemies. With the aid of the panther-dog, the son soon gained a reputation as a great hunter and warrior. The panther-dog then went away, but could still be seen by the son alone at a certain place. No one else ever saw him again. [1]

Links: Cougars, Disease-Giver, Wolf & Dog Spirits.

Stories: mentioning mountain lions (Cougars, Pumas, Panthers): The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion, The Four Steps of the Cougar, Bladder and His Brothers, v. 1; relating to dogs or wolves: The Gray Wolf Origin Myth, A Man and His Three Dogs, White Wolf, Wolves and Humans, The Wolf Clan Origin Myth, The Old Man and His Four Dogs, Worúxega, The Dogs of the Chief's Son, Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth, The Wild Rose, The Man Whose Wife was Captured, The Resurrection of the Chief's Daughter, The Canine Warrior, The Raccoon Coat, Wodjidjé, The Big Eater, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, Trickster Loses His Meal, Sun and the Big Eater, Redhorn's Sons, Trickster, the Wolf, the Turtle, and the Meadow Lark, Hog's Adventures, Holy One and His Brother, The Messengers of Hare, Grandmother's Gifts, The Hotcâk Migration Myth, Bladder and His Brothers, The Old Man and the Giants, Rich Man, Boy, and Horse, Peace of Mind Regained (?).

Themes: seeing the approach of an enemy warparty in a dream: The Moiety Origin Myth, The Dogs of the Chief's Son, Wazûka, Porcupine and His Brothers; a man is blessed with the ability to foresee the approach of enemies: Wazûka, The Moiety Origin Myth, The Annihilation of the Hotcâgara I, Big Thunder Teaches Tcaposgaga the Warpath, The Fleetfooted Man; a group of men leave one of their own comrades behind alone to fight against an overwhelming force of enemy warriors: How Little Priest went out as a Soldier, Fighting Retreat, dogs rescue humans from their enemies: Wolves and Humans, A Man and His Three Dogs, The Old Man and His Four Dogs, The Dogs of the Chief's Son, The Canine Warrior; a person is told by a spirit that he should not look upon someone during a particular period of time, but curiosity gets the better of the person and he looks anyway, causing the object of his gaze to be injured: The Man who Defied Disease Giver, Snowshoe Strings; an animal spirit transforms himself from one kind of animal into another: The Orphan who was Blessed with a Horse (Thunderbird > horse), Bear Clan Origin Myth (bear > blackbird > bear), White Wolf (wolf > dog), A Man and His Three Dogs (wolf > dog), The Were-fish (raccoon > fish), Lake Wâkcikhomîgra (Mendota): the Origin of Its Name (raccoon > fish), The Spirit of Maple Bluff (raccoon > fish); a mountain lion fights alongside a man in battle: The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion; violating the terms of a blessing does harm: The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, The Necessity for Death, Hare Retrieves a Stolen Scalp, White Wolf, The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion, Disease Giver Blesses Djobenâgiwíñxga, The Greedy Woman, Trickster, the Wolf, the Turtle, and the Meadow Lark (meadow lark), He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle; someone aided by a spirit friend is left for dead by his colleagues, only to be saved by his friend and brought back alive to the grief of those who left him for dead: Warughápara, The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion.

Notes:

[1] W. C. McKern, "Winnebago Dog Myths," Yearbook, Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee, 10 (1930): 321-322.