So last week I went hiking and around dusk I was sitting around the campfire drinking my evening coffee (and by coffee, I mean whisky). Out of nowhere came one of the loudest sounds I have ever heard in the woods. A pack of coyotes were very close just over the hill. I woke up several times to coyotes on surrounding hillsides, but not as close as the first group. I don't fear coyotes, as a matter of fact I thought it was pretty cool, but here's my concern. Sometimes my faithful companion Lennon, our miniature weiner dog, comes hiking with me. Will coyotes try to attack dogs?

Attatched is a picture of my puppy, as you can see she would only be a snack for a pack of coyotes.

If your smallish dog is allowed to stray too far from you it could be in danger. Daschunds aren't afraid of anything in the world and would quite possibly chase a single coyote. Mine used to try to chase wild boars when I lived in Germany. The problem is that coyotes have learned to lure smallish dogs away into the brush in that fashion, then the coyote family gangs up and eats the smallish dog.

you said it: "snack"

So last week I went hiking and around dusk I was sitting around the campfire drinking my evening coffee (and by coffee, I mean whisky). Out of nowhere came one of the loudest sounds I have ever heard in the woods. A pack of coyotes were very close just over the hill. I woke up several times to coyotes on surrounding hillsides, but not as close as the first group. I don't fear coyotes, as a matter of fact I thought it was pretty cool, but here's my concern. Sometimes my faithful companion Lennon, our miniature weiner dog, comes hiking with me. Will coyotes try to attack dogs?

Attatched is a picture of my puppy, as you can see she would only be a snack for a pack of coyotes.O yes they will I had a mt.chawowa maybe spelled it wrong but anyway,I lived back in eastern ky had to go logging for a week or so.I called up my uncle and needless to say he informs me he heard the cyotes eat him poor taco was pretty cool been bit twice by a chow already.ky

Coyotes will eat dogs and are very fond of cats. We have had some problems with coyotes eating beagles when they are rabbit hunting. The coyotes home in on the sound of beagles chasing rabbits and then kill and eat them.
They are no harm to humans and most big dogs can hold their own. A smaller dog is supper.

Coyotes will eat dogs and are very fond of cats. We have had some problems with coyotes eating beagles when they are rabbit hunting. The coyotes home in on the sound of beagles chasing rabbits and then kill and eat them.
They are no harm to humans and most big dogs can hold their own. A smaller dog is supper.

Most coyotes will overpower "big dogs" who are not trained to fight. It happens a lot here in California, and it's not even a close fight. Even if the "big dog" escapes, it is likely that she/he will have serious injuries.

TW

We've got coyotes around our neighborhood, and at first they were just eating my neighbor's feral cats. Then they got one of ours, and a couple across the street, and down the street.....they'll eat whatever food is easiest to get.

Coyotes are not native to the Appalachians but have moved in because of the lack of other predators and the increase in prey like deer. I would much rather see a return of mountain lions. Coyotes prey on pets and livestock, and here in Virginia there is a continuous open season on them but of course they probably can't be eradicated. I killed one a couple of years ago while deer hunting and using a doe bleat call. The coyote came at a full run.

My old lab/springer mix, Bud, was fearless. He charged a coyote once, and then the pack came into view. He hesitated, but the pack was fearless. He would have been a snack to them, but instead ran back to me and acted in defense of me. I was able to grab his collar and get him back into the house. The pack was about 100 yards away. My experience with dachsunds is that they are usually at least as fearless as my old Bud was. Coyotes are also very opprotunistic and will jump at the chance for any easy meal. Keep Lennon on a leash is my recommendation.

Coyotes don't normally prey on dogs, and in fact, consider them competition, not a food source.

That being said, coyotes are territorial, so blatant aggression by a dog, interruption of feeding, encroachment on young, or cases of extreme hunger may lead to an attack, most of which would be classified as defensive.

As far as coyotes luring dogs away for a group ambush, those stories are anecdotal at best. It's always possible under the right circumstances (as stated before, extreme hunger), but it's unlikely. In fact, a number of dogs are routinely used to hunt coyotes, some of which are quite small (greyhound). Remember, most coyotes weigh around 30 lbs., ranging between 15 and 45 lbs.; they also tend to hunt in pairs, not packs. That being said, a larger, more aggressive breed dog, could in fact fend off a few coyotes, though at some risk to him/herself.

As for your Dachshund, well, they're notoriously aggressive and feisty, so I would think that the possibility of danger is increased by this dog's size and demeanor, so care should be taken if one is aware of the presence of coyotes; but as a rule, I'd think that the presence of large dogs would be a coyote deterrent in most instances.

They don't call them badger dogs (dachshunds) for nothing, but they're no match for a pack of coyotes. I heard a pack howling Sunday morning before dawn, walking my two Labs, and even they pricked up their ears and headed back towards the house. We've lost a couple of cats in the last three years, and I'm thinking that's why.

Google "Coyote attacks on dogs"

In fact, a number of dogs are routinely used to hunt coyotes, some of which are quite small (greyhound).


My greyhounds are 75 lbs and 30" at the shoulder. A 75 lb greyhound looks huge next to a 75 lb dog with a less extreme physique. I have seen 90lb greyhounds that are as big as a deerhound. Small dogs, they are not.

Greyhound coyote hunting is usually done with a pickup and a pack of dogs in boxes specially rigged to open like a race gate. It is an odd sort of thing, but greyhounds cannot run very long, they are sprinters. Often the best coyote dogs are only part greyhound for speed with another sight hound mixed in for stamina.

Coyotes are not native to the Appalachians but have moved in because of the lack of other predators and the increase in prey like deer. I would much rather see a return of mountain lions. Coyotes prey on pets and livestock, and here in Virginia there is a continuous open season on them but of course they probably can't be eradicated. I killed one a couple of years ago while deer hunting and using a doe bleat call. The coyote came at a full run.

If you want to crash the coyote population without any significant effect (negative or positive either way) on domestic animals, support the reintroduction of the Eastern Wolf. Huge benefit to Yellowstone as a result would happen there, too: Wolves destroyed the invasive coyotes, bringing back a variety of other wildlife in the process.

TW

Keep her on the leash, coyotes won't come too near concious people. If attacked she can strangle them with that leash.

I said 'concious' because one time a pack silently surrounded the group I was with and at 3 in the morning, on cue, they all started howling. And we had a big German Shephard along with us. It didn't bother me at all, I'm used to waking up 5 feet in the air still inside a sleeping bag.

The point is, keep her near you.

Coyotes are not native to the Appalachians but have moved in because of the lack of other predators and the increase in prey like deer. I would much rather see a return of mountain lions. Coyotes prey on pets and livestock, and here in Virginia there is a continuous open season on them but of course they probably can't be eradicated. I killed one a couple of years ago while deer hunting and using a doe bleat call. The coyote came at a full run.


Wrong Wrong on that mate,,, Just because you were not here over a hundred years ago, and neither was I.....Hey I generally do not call someone out - but you need to google Eastern Coyotes. They're Back!!!!
Snack!

OK, so the consensus is, keep her close, and on a leash and she should be fine?

I've never been concerned about coyotes, but I've never had them start howling that close to me before. It reminded me of that scene in the movie Stand By Me.

Most coyotes will overpower "big dogs" who are not trained to fight. It happens a lot here in California, and it's not even a close fight. Even if the "big dog" escapes, it is likely that she/he will have serious injuries.
TW


Out where I live, coyote bitchs in heat have been used to entice domestic males out in the brush, only to be ambushed and eaten.
I know it's true, someone told a bunch of us while drinkin' around a camp fire at Irvine Lake. :eek:
I do believe The Weasel is correct about our coyotes.

Since coyotes are opportunistic feeders, and will eat carrion as well as live prey, the possibility of rabies is always present. Keep your distance and watch your dog.

If you want to crash the coyote population without any significant effect (negative or positive either way) on domestic animals, support the reintroduction of the Eastern Wolf. Huge benefit to Yellowstone as a result would happen there, too: Wolves destroyed the invasive coyotes, bringing back a variety of other wildlife in the process.

Yeah, elk down 70%. So when they de-list the wolf (yeah,right), will they list elk?

Most coyotes will overpower "big dogs" who are not trained to fight. It happens a lot here in California, and it's not even a close fight. Even if the "big dog" escapes, it is likely that she/he will have serious injuries.

TW

Years ago in GA a friend of mine had a bada$$ bulldog chewed up pretty badly by coyotes. A lesser dog would have been lunch.

Wrong Wrong on that mate,,, Just because you were not here over a hundred years ago, and neither was I.....Hey I generally do not call someone out - but you need to google Eastern Coyotes. They're Back!!!!
Snack!

Well, I googled it and I didn't find anything that changed my mind. There were wolves here in SW VA before the white man killed them all, but I haven't seen any conclusive evidence of coyotes here then, and the pages I looked at about New England said the same thing. If you know of an article that shows anything conclusively that they were here, give me a link and I'll read it.

I'm fairly certain coyotes have never been indigenous (native) east of the big river. A sub-species of wolves, yes - but not coyotes.

Coyote expansion east of the Mississippi River is a relatively modern phenomenon.

Believe it or not, the Mississipi River itself was a natural barrier (before we started building bridges over it....) as coyotes don't particularly like to swim.

There were wolves here in SW VA before the white man killed them all,

Settled as mostly farms, why do you think the "white man" killed off the wolf? Just being mean?

As long as your holding the other end of that leash you have nothing to worry about

As long as your holding the other end of that leash you have nothing to worry about

That is not entirely true. Recently an elderly woman was walking her little pooch in a suburb or St. Petersburg, FL and a couple of coyotes attacked and killed it quicker than she could react. They can be nasty critters when they choose to be.

Ok fine. I will revise. As long as your holding the other end of that leash you will not be attacked my coyotes unless your an elderly women in florida.

there happy!

Ok fine. I will revise. As long as your holding the other end of that leash you will not be attacked my coyotes unless your an elderly women in florida.

there happy!

You own coyotes? :D

damn you got me

Settled as mostly farms, why do you think the "white man" killed off the wolf? Just being mean?

White people DID kill off the wolves here. You seem to think I'm taking some moral stance one way or the other about it and I'm not. I'm just saying it happened.

I'm fairly certain coyotes have never been indigenous (native) east of the big river. A sub-species of wolves, yes - but not coyotes.

Coyote expansion east of the Mississippi River is a relatively modern phenomenon.

Believe it or not, the Mississipi River itself was a natural barrier (before we started building bridges over it....) as coyotes don't particularly like to swim.

Yes, that's what everything I've read about it says and I find no mention of coyotes in ANY historical texts but there are plenty of passages about wolves. For instance, Abingdon VA, near Damascus, was once called Wolf Hills and supposedly Daniel Boone's dogs were attacked at a cave there by a pack of wolves.

White people DID kill off the wolves here. You seem to think I'm taking some moral stance one way or the other about it and I'm not. I'm just saying it happened.

Why did they kill them out?

Settled as mostly farms, why do you think the "white man" killed off the wolf? Just being mean?

I (the white man) had nothing to do with it. Pull the race card, indeed.

Why did they kill them out?
Wolves were considered to be a threat to livestock and to humans. There were bounties on them in some areas.

I know Eastern Coyote will often kill dogs, and sometimes breed with them, but I am not sure if they will eat them. Since they are essentially the same species it is a question of whether cannibalism exists in wolves/dogs/ coyotes. Good question.

Not sure if that was the point of the OP though. Answer is coyotes will attack dogs, and even lure them in playfully then kill them, whatever it takes, and I believe it is more of a territorial thing between members of the same species rather than a predator/prey situation.

my sisters pom was taken right out of the yard in broad daylight,while she watched from her porch.needlessto say she is now a hunter.

I wouldn't say needless to say. It's still her choice. Not a bad one either way.

I'll just say that I spend a lot of time outdoors and every time I've seen coyotes they turn tail and run with a human present, no matter how big the pack. I don't believe that they would attack a Pomeranian in a yard, in the suburbs, sorry. Or a dog on a leash in St. Pete. Nope, doesn't happen.

I'll just say that I spend a lot of time outdoors and every time I've seen coyotes they turn tail and run with a human present, no matter how big the pack. I don't believe that they would attack a Pomeranian in a yard, in the suburbs, sorry. Or a dog on a leash in St. Pete. Nope, doesn't happen.
Yes it does.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/20/coyote-attacks-another-dog-estero/

http://www.journalgroup.com/Canton/4470/dog-recovers-after-coyote-attack

I googled "coyote attacks on dogs" and those are just two of the links found:

http://www.google.com/search?q=coyote+attacks+on+dogs&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS268US268

My brother and i were out this weekend up 309 to palmerton and the first night we had a late start so we camped in the back down by the knife's edge ... about 10pm rolls around we are outside the tents just talking and all of a sudden dog cries and sounds of evil scretching and sounds of what sounds like slaughtering of dogs just blares outta no where .... My brother stops mid word and grabs his hiking pole for dear life .... i damn near lol'd myself off the mountain ... I said relax bro, its just coyotes ... While i hate the sound, i knew what it was ... and as fast as they started going nuts, it stop'd. Complete silence after a few minutes.

Never seen one personally, but i've heard um ... I've read that they are about as rare as bear encounters ... Which i've yet to encounter on the trail, only my backyard growing up in the poconos. *Shrug* ...

I (the white man) had nothing to do with it. Pull the race card, indeed.

see post 22

While camping just north of Wise shelter in SW Virginia earlier this week I had the pleasure of listening to a chorus of coyote calls very near my camp. After a few minutes they were gone. On Tuesday morning as I was taking a break 2 coyotes came over the ridge and spotted me, stopped dead in their tracks, turned around and high tailed it out of there.

I'll just say that I spend a lot of time outdoors and every time I've seen coyotes they turn tail and run with a human present, no matter how big the pack. I don't believe that they would attack a Pomeranian in a yard, in the suburbs, sorry. Or a dog on a leash in St. Pete. Nope, doesn't happen.


This is probably a reasonable assumption for coyotes that haven't been habituated to humans yet.

Once a coyote (or any wild animal for that matter) loses it's natural fear of humans, all bets are off. They'll come up on your front porch or come into your garage and take small dogs and cats right in front of you.

Small children have suffered predatory attacks out in Kalifornia while adults were in close proximity. In many places there, coyotes run the streets in suburban neighborhoods looking for food (your trash or your cat) because they have absolutely no fear of humans.

They routinely spends thousands of dollars "relocating" trapped coyotes, only to have them return. They refuse to address the problem, which is; the animals have lost their natural fear of humans. Moving them around doesn't address that in the least.

In my part of the country, coyotes that don't fear people don't last long - they tend be bullet traps. ;^)

I think Eastern Coyotes have been known to Eastern Woodland Tribes for along time because Coyote plays a prominent role in Micmac legends and so forth. It has probably always been closer to wolves than western coyotes, but I think wolves and dogs and coyotes all interbreed and are all part of the same species and there must always be some intermixing and intermigration that keeps things changing over time, even before Europeans arrived. We have to consider also that all the Native tribes had alot of different breeds of dogs of their own, which would have also been a means by which wolf and eastern coyote and western coyote populations would change over time. Perhaps less so the smaller western coyote. Not sure.

I was just down in the Dominican Repuplic. Lots of dogs down there and they all look more or less the same. Not sure what breed you would call them, but they were mid sized and short haired and light coloured and all looked very similar to one another whether they were pets or strays. It was hard to tell which were which, as they were all treated more or less the same, but some were clearly family pets, and others were clearly strays. It struck me though as soon as I first saw them that they seemed like REAL dogs, and lived and interacted with humans as you would have expected them to over thousands of years. They weren't something artifically bred, just these local indiginous mutts, more the way you would expect it should be.

see post 22


"I see", said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

Interesting exerpts from wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote

"Unlike its cousin the Gray Wolf, which is Eurasian in origin, the coyote evolved in North America 2 MYA alongside the Dire Wolf. Unlike the wolf, the coyote's range has expanded in the wake of human civilization, and coyotes readily reproduce in metropolitan areas. It is thought by certain experts that the coyote's North American origin may account for its greater adaptability than the wolf, due to North America's greater prehistoric predation pressures."

"Traditional stories from many Native American nations include a deity whose name is translated into English as "Coyote". Although especially common in stories told by southwestern Native American nations, such as the Diné and Apache, stories about Coyote appear in dozens of Native American nations from Canada to Mexico.

Usually appearing as a trickster, a culture hero or both, Coyote also often appears in creation myths and etiological myths. Although usually appearing in stories as male, Coyote can also be female or even a hermaphrodite, in some traditional Native American stories."

"Coyotes have also been known on occasion to mate with wolves, though this is less common than with dogs due to the wolf's hostility to the coyote. The offspring, known as a coywolf, is generally intermediate in size to both parents, being larger than a pure coyote, but smaller than a pure wolf. A study showed that of 100 coyotes collected in Maine, 22 had half or more wolf ancestry, and one was 89 percent wolf. A theory has been proposed that the large eastern coyotes in Canada are actually hybrids of the smaller western coyotes and wolves that met and mated decades ago as the coyotes moved toward New England from their earlier western ranges.[18] The Red Wolf is thought by certain scientists to be in fact a wolf/coyote hybrid rather than a unique species. Strong evidence for hybridization was found through genetic testing which showed that red wolves have only 5% of their alleles unique from either Gray Wolves or coyotes. Genetic distance calculations have indicated that red wolves are intermediate between coyotes and Gray Wolves, and that they bear great similarity to wolf/coyote hybrids in southern Quebec and Minnesota. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA showed that existing Red Wolf populations are predominantly coyote in origin."

For those curious about the Dire Wolf:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_Wolf

I'll just say that I spend a lot of time outdoors and every time I've seen coyotes they turn tail and run with a human present, no matter how big the pack. I don't believe that they would attack a Pomeranian in a yard, in the suburbs, sorry. Or a dog on a leash in St. Pete. Nope, doesn't happen.

What you want to believe doesn't have any bearing on reality...educate yourself.

I would have to agree more with Engine on this one.

My understanding is they are very timid of humans, but agressive towards dogs.
Not so much as predator/prey but as members of the same species, different pack.

I have to say though that it seems that wolves, dogs, coyotes are all related as one big plastic and diverse but competitive and intermixing species, with widely varying behaviour. Coyotes are more distinct from wolves and dogs, but then there are exceptions like the Red Wolf and the Eastern Coyote. They all seem very adaptable though, so behaviour and characteristics can change from one place to another and over time. Also there is likely considerable variation in behaviour within individuals, be they wolves, dogs, or coyotes, depending on both their nature and their nurture.

Most coyotes will overpower "big dogs" who are not trained to fight. It happens a lot here in California, and it's not even a close fight. Even if the "big dog" escapes, it is likely that she/he will have serious injuries.

TW

Yep. I have a 90 lb. Doby/Rott mix who tangled with a coyote. He did ok but got scratched and bitten some. The real problem, at least where I live, is that they will use a bitch in heat to lure a male toward a pack. Folks around here lose dogs and cats constantly. 'Yotes seem to be more of a problem than lions.

Coyotes don't normally prey on dogs, and in fact, consider them competition, not a food source.

That being said, coyotes are territorial, so blatant aggression by a dog, interruption of feeding, encroachment on young, or cases of extreme hunger may lead to an attack, most of which would be classified as defensive.

As far as coyotes luring dogs away for a group ambush, those stories are anecdotal at best. It's always possible under the right circumstances (as stated before, extreme hunger), but it's unlikely. In fact, a number of dogs are routinely used to hunt coyotes, some of which are quite small (greyhound). Remember, most coyotes weigh around 30 lbs., ranging between 15 and 45 lbs.; they also tend to hunt in pairs, not packs. That being said, a larger, more aggressive breed dog, could in fact fend off a few coyotes, though at some risk to him/herself.

As for your Dachshund, well, they're notoriously aggressive and feisty, so I would think that the possibility of danger is increased by this dog's size and demeanor, so care should be taken if one is aware of the presence of coyotes; but as a rule, I'd think that the presence of large dogs would be a coyote deterrent in most instances.

I have personally seen coyotes trying to lure dogs away. Also, they DO consider dogs, depending upon size of course, food out here in the Rockies.

I saw a pack of them beyond the tree line and started glassing the grass in front of us. About 75 yards away I spotted one on its belly crawling toward my dog and me.

They are a very real threat to almost any animal out here. There are no wolves in the area, apparently, to control their population.

YMMV.

I'll just say that I spend a lot of time outdoors and every time I've seen coyotes they turn tail and run with a human present, no matter how big the pack. I don't believe that they would attack a Pomeranian in a yard, in the suburbs, sorry. Or a dog on a leash in St. Pete. Nope, doesn't happen.

You might want to google "coyote attacks in Denver, Co."

Let me know what you think.

My greyhounds are 75 lbs and 30" at the shoulder. A 75 lb greyhound looks huge next to a 75 lb dog with a less extreme physique. I have seen 90lb greyhounds that are as big as a deerhound. Small dogs, they are not.

Greyhound coyote hunting is usually done with a pickup and a pack of dogs in boxes specially rigged to open like a race gate. It is an odd sort of thing, but greyhounds cannot run very long, they are sprinters. Often the best coyote dogs are only part greyhound for speed with another sight hound mixed in for stamina.
Out of curiosity, have you heard of anyone using my favorite breed- Rhodesian Ridgebacks?

While living in Arizona, I brought this same subject up at a get together with uncles and grandfather who were all born and raised there. They said there have been cases of coyotes attacking dogs, but there were more cases of Coyotes impregnating dogs, so don't take a bitch in heat out hiking.

I grew up in Central IL, and we and our neighbors constantly lost cats to coyotes, and a number of small dogs went missing over the years too. We had a shepherd who never was bothered as far as we knew.

One day I was sitting back to back with a friend in a kind of "peninsula" made by a loop of the Mackinaw river (we were both glassing treelines for wildlife), and we were approached by a pack of 6 coyotes. We sat still, but it was obvious they knew we were there. They surrounded us and watched for a while, and since they didn't seem to be scared of us it worried us a bit, so we got up and made noise until they ran off.

Coyotes can be agressive....I raise angus cattle here in Lower Alabama....coyotes always come around during calving season...have no use for them....that's why you will see donkeys in with most herds....donkeys will attack a coyote and kill it...amazing thing to watch....donkeys don't really like dogs either but can be trained to leave alone.....so all you gotta do is get a donkey on the trail with ya....no more coyote problems...cheers, bill

hmmm, a pack donkey ... thats not a bad idea ....

Out of curiosity, have you heard of anyone using my favorite breed- Rhodesian Ridgebacks?

I was wondering the same thing. Ridgies are my favorite breed as well.
As I recall, Greyhounds are one of the five breeds used to "engineer" the Ridgeback.

I was wondering the same thing. Ridgies are my favorite breed as well.
As I recall, Greyhounds are one of the five breeds used to "engineer" the Ridgeback.
As I know the story the origins are pretty speculative, but do include Greyhounds (or the forerunners thereof). Ditto for English Bulldogs and Mastiffs, with a heavy dose of the (now extinct) Hottentot Hunting Dog- the source of the ridge.
Rhodies have good speed, great endurance, amazing quickness, and are hell on wheels in a dogfight- there's no doubt in my mind they'd make a great addition to any pack of dogs used for coyote hunting.

I don't think ridgebacks are quite fast enough, even some of the other sighthounds aren't. The best dogs are supposed to be Lurchers, half greyhound for speed and other things for endurance. Greyhounds are plenty tough to anything that's prey, if you've ever seen a race, you've seen their behavior. They're always in a pack and basically just swarm, surround, stand on and rip apart whatever they catch.

Here's a good page on coursing yotes, even got pic of a ridgeback/grey cross.
http://www.high-lonesomehounds.com/Other%20Game.htm