It's not that he thinks the dog has a weapon inside of it, but he also doesn't trust it to not have rabies or be trained to lash out at them when they least expect it. This place, after all, has kidnapped them, nearly drowned them, and tried to blow them away after stealing all their things. His charity isn't running high.

Still, the animal is hardly the cause of any of this, which means when the puppy skitters to a stop by his feet, Cougar bends down to heft up the little thing into his hands, pressing a splayed palm under the belly to hold up the dog with one hand like a tray, raising it to his eyes to study it carefully. The dog keeps staring back, but at the last minute of their contest, licks him. Cougar remains impassively calm, but adjusts his hold on the dog so he curls him in.

"We'll keep him," he decides, patting its head the once before setting it back on the ground. "Stay," he informs the dog, showing it how to tuck its legs back under itself into a sit, rewarding it with a hidden morsel of rabbit meat when the dog does well, nodding in satisfaction as the dog chomps away at it happily, sitting in place.