Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The biggest coyote I've seen around here was maybe 55 pounds. Most of them are much smaller. Hard to imagine one dragging off a dog that's double their size.
I live in urban Las Vegas. Every now and then if we are out in the neighborhood late at night we will see a coyote. Not that unusual, this is one of their natural homes. Most desert dwelling animals tend to be smaller in build than their relatives living in areas with a more abundant supply of food and water. The biggest coyote I have seen looked like a medium weight dog, maybe 30 or 35 pounds.
There are lots of small dogs here. I'm sure to the coyote it looks like a snack run to the 7-11 store. Several of my neighbors have chihuahuas and I am nervous when I see them out on their own around the neighborhood. I have a Weim and a GSP, much bigger dogs but especially after reading that article, I still worry about them.
But mine are never out of the yard unless they are leashed and with me!
Keep the dog in a secure pen, and no coyote can get it. We had mountain lions and bears in our old neighborhood. They took dogs, cats, goats, and even three llamas. But not our two smallish dogs. We walked them every day, on leash, so they still got plenty of roaming time.
The pen not only keeps dogs in, it keeps predators OUT.
I have an idiot neighbor that has 2 Cavalier puppies and put in invisible fence. I see the pups out on their own all the time and I've seen coyotes walking down our street. It's not going to end well. ;(
My neighbor's Rottweiler was attacked by coyotes. I don't think there is a size limit and it's not like a Rott is a weenie little sissy.
If you want to leave dogs outside around coyotes, you need at least two dogs so they can protect each other's backs. Get an agile breed that has been bred for protection and about 60 pounds and up. Two German Shepherds might be safe and two Labradors might not.
Coyotes were terrified of my Scottish Deerhounds but I never would have sent fewer than three hounds out after the coyotes.
A small dog can be perfectly safe, too. You build a sturdy kennel with a cover and something on the ground to prevent digging under the fence. Be alert and walk with a leash with a good hold on the leash. Coyotes have been known to run up and grab a small dog on a leash and pull the leash out of the owner's hand.
coyotes regularly attack 150lb goats...the size of your dog has nothing to o with it...
they'll tear apart anything they can lure away...
ive seen them rip into livestock guardian dogs by luring 1 rom the pack...
the only dog safe from yotes, is the one you don't leave outside unsupervised....
We have a similar concern. Our yard is completely fenced but backs up to open space. We regularly see coyotes up on the hill behind our house. We have always had labs, boxers, that size dog. They have never attacked our dogs. We now have a lab puppy so we dont let her out alone.
The coyotes are usually well-fed around here - lots of bunnies, squirrels and snakes to keep them from wanting to risk going up against a dog. But.. why tempt fate. I choose dogs that will be large and ones that hopefully would not look like an easy meal.
However, I will validate some replies I saw. First off, it doesn't matter the size of the dog - what matters is the size of the fight the dog brings. Within limits. For instance, I used to have a 15 lb cat who was the bully of every dog in the neighborhood. One morning he went out early, and never came back. Well, it doesn't take a big leap to figure out he met somebody bigger than him who didn't care for his bully attitude.
Any dog over 20 lbs can be safe from coyotes if they have attitude AND smarts. Sometimes you have to know when to fold, ya know? On the other hand, a lot of dogs who are over 75 lbs are not safe from a 45 lb coyote. They don't know enough to handle the coyote's fight smarts. That's it.
Coyotes avoid people, and they avoid being seen. Sure, you will catch them sometimes - but they don't just sit there and watch back, do they! No, they move on. They don't tend to hunt in packs either. It happens, but its rare.
So I take advantage of these facts - I limit how much my animals are out at night. They come in just before dusk. My dogs go out in a fenced yard after that, but not my cats. I hope that I don't have any dogs who are stupid enough to be enticed by a coyote enticing the dog to leave the yard area.
And, if they ever get into it, like I said, it is the size of the fight, not the size of the fighter, that matters most. Any critter over 20 lbs can play a solid defense. Any critter 40 lbs and over can do one better, and take it to the offense a bit.
BTW - livestock guarding dogs (LGD) tend to be big. Like 75-85 lbs, or bigger. I've not seen them fight much, but they definitely tend to discourage coyotes. I think the risk of confrontation in this case is enough that the coyotes stand down.
Coyotes avoid people, and they avoid being seen. Sure, you will catch them sometimes - but they don't just sit there and watch back, do they! No, they move on. They don't tend to hunt in packs either. It happens, but its rare.
unfortunately this is completely misinformation.
firstly coyotes can and often DO hunt in packs, not formed packs like wolves, yotes are manipulative and intelligent, they form loose hunting groups...
farmers see if regularly, a couple of yong yotes will approach the fenceline, lure the dogs out, the dogs give chase to the predator, just as they are supposed to...
while the guardian dogs are away, the other yotes in the hunting group come in from behind and take their their kills...
yotes do this more frequently than people want to think, because people want to think of them as scawny and not a threat.
ive personally seen them do this to pet dogs, trying to lure them away form the residence...
yotes are also NOT shy...
wolves and foxes are, they'll watch from a distance, avoid humans and confrontation...
Yotes hwoever...are BOLD.
just 2 days ago there was another notice placed on our local facebook group wanring horseback riders in the area of 3 large yotes stalking the trail...
the 2 women on horseback had their GSD and Anatolian with them...3 large yotes followed them at a distance for about 2 miles...
at the 2 mile mark one got too close and the dogs gave chase, the yotes vanished for about a mile...then reappered, followed them for another couple of miles before edging closer...
the dogs chased 2 off, the 3rd actually trued to approach one of the horses agressivly...until the horse decided it wasn't standing for that and tried to stomp its head...
it ran...but againa fter another mile or so all 3 were back, following them...
this isn't the first time, and not limited to these 3 yotes, it happens OFTEN, yotes are intelligent...they think, they learn they don't approach because they think through the risk...they arnt "shy" or "scared" they are calculating...and if they think the risk is worth the payout, a yote WILL approach, it WILL be bold...
its VERY common for hikers to be followed and watched by yotes for miles...they Don't typically move on just because they've been spotted...
and as a farm girl ill tell you, yotes WILL attack domestic dogs...they don't back down just because something looks like it might be scrappy or put up a fight...if they are hungry...they'll risk it.
coyotes are fantastic beautiful and most of all incredibly INTELIGENT animals...
people don't give them nearly enough credit,
they are apex predators. who should be respecte and never underestimated.
Two incidences I want to relate happened a year ago, and yesterday respectfully.
While walking my German Shepherd in the neighborhood one night, tree coyotes came form behind a grocery store.
Me and my Shepherd were on the opposite side of the street, getting ready to cross.
"Bobby" barked at the three, and they took off for a vacant lot about 100 yards from where we were standing.
Two managed to squeeze through an opening in the fence, and the third jumped to the top of the fence,and fell to the ground inside the fence.
All three ran like they had a stick of dynamite up their butts. and they were obviously frightened.
The second event happened yesterday.
Me and Bobby walk in a wooded section of the Aaroyo Seco which is adjacent to a golf course.
We were headed back to my pickup, when 20 feet in front of us was a coyote.
We were walking slow, and Bobby hadn't even noticed the coyote.
He (by it's size, I guessed it was a male.) spotted us, and quickly hurried off the trail, onto the golf course, running as fast as it could. to get away from us.
Bobby did not bark at this one, just raised his tail and stood in excitement, as the coyote ran away.
The thing that amazed me was how healthy the coyote looked.
His body was firm, with no skinny look like most coyotes.
Hid coat glistened in the sun as he ran away.
Actually he looked like he had just come from a dog groomer.
There are many,many coyotes in my area, but I have never seen one in this great shape.
Bob.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
