[DauntlessDan]

Is there really such a thing running around in Vermont's forests? A half-dog, half-coyote hybrid canine. My southern Vermont brother-in-law seems to think so and has said that he has even seen numerous ones together? I was always told that in nature dogs, even wild ones, want to mate with dogs and coyotes want to mate with coyotes. That a hybrid only happens in captivity bringing the two together. Are there really Coy-Dogs roaming southern Vermont wilds? Has anyone actually seen one?

[Ellwood]

Coy dog is a local term to describe the Eastern Coyote found throughout New England. It is a hybrid between western coyotes and gray wolves, in addition to wild dogs. Studies have shown that the DNA is mixed of all three breeds mentioned. They are bolder, larger and very comfortable living among humans.

[DauntlessDan]

Okay. So they are a "real thing" Not a myth. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[timberline742]

Myth, in effect. A coydog would be a F1 generation from a mating of a feral domestic dog and a coyote. They can mate, but the reality is they very rarely do and the offspring has a tiny chance of surviving.

There is wolf DNA in our coyotes, heck, some people claim that is all a red wolf really is, a hybrid (still a bit contentious), but that is something different. There is a fair amount of scientific articles on the phenomena, but this blurb (from an excellent VT magazine) covers much of why this isn't such a thing:

Coyote or Coydog? | Autumn 2007 | Knots and Bolts | September 1st 2007

[DauntlessDan]

Thanks for the article