Dogs and Coyotes in the Neighborhood

Bronco our Leonberger is standing on our red sofa and stretching forward to give me a hug.
A young Bronco giving me a hug

The coyote (Canis latrans) is a close relative of the wolf (Canis lupus) and the dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Coyotes live in every US state except Hawaii. It is estimated that there are between three to five coyotes in the United States.  Coyotes kill a lot of cats and dogs as well as livestock including 135,000 sheep per year .

Coyote standing in snow and looking into the camera
Coyote in Yosemite. Yathin S Krishnappa, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons.

Our neighborhood is generously populated with coyotes. Bronco used to bark at them, so they never got close to us. He tried to chase them, but they ran off. I assume they were afraid of him, but they certainly weren’t afraid of Daisy or Ryu.

A coyote walking across grass.
Wild Coyote – (Canis latrans) Stock Photo ID: 1629174541 by Tory Kallman

One day I saw a coyote coming around the corner at the end of our street as I was walking Daisy and Ryu. He saw us and proceeded straight toward us without hesitation and with no sign of fear. He wasn’t running, but coyotes have long legs, and he was sort of trotting along and moving pretty fast. I wasn’t worried for myself—an adult human can easily handle a lone coyote. I was worried for Daisy and Ryu. I didn’t want them to be the coyote’s dinner.

Our beige pug Daisy is on the left. To the right of her is our black and white Japanese Chin Ryu. On the right is our big Leonberger Bronco.
Our Leonberger Bronco with our two small dogs, Daisy the pug and Ryu the Japanese Chin.

As the coyote came closer, I stopped and stared at him. When he was around fifteen feet away, he stopped and stared back at me. Ryu and Daisy were staring at the coyote, too. I could see that they were frightened, but they didn’t bark. Meanwhile, I was calculating how best I could fight the animal. It wasn’t practical to lift both dogs in my arms and try to fight at the same time. So I had to let the dogs stay on the ground. Before I could strategize further, though, the coyote continued on his way and disappeared behind some houses farther down the road. Coyotes are common almost everywhere in the United States, so if you need another reason avoid letting your cats and small dogs run loose, remind yourself of this story.

Our beige pug Daisy (on the left) is holding Ryu’s leash in her mouth. Ryu is our black and white Japanese Chin.
Daisy getting ready to take Ryu for a walk.

The video below is in regard to an incident that happened here in Dallas two years ago when a two-year-old boy was injured by a coyote.

This two-minute informational video was created by a local news organization after the coyote attack on the two-year-old boy. DFW stands for Dallas Forth Worth.

I should say that I certainly respect the coyotes right to life and I think that they deserve to be treated humanely and with respect. However, they are unafraid of people, they roam our neighborhoods and there are so many of them. You need to be ready to protect your small dogs and cats, and even large dogs. A pack of coyotes can do a lot of damage to a large dog. Don’t let your small dogs and cats run lose and keep your dogs on a leash. You may also want to consider bringing maze with you on your walks.

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Author: thomasstigwikman

My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.

75 thoughts on “Dogs and Coyotes in the Neighborhood”

    1. Wow a lion. That is a little bit worse. With coyotes I am worried about my little dogs but not myself, unless it is a pack. With a lion, well that’s death. The parents and the school must have been very afraid.

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  3. Good advice, Thomas: always keep your pets and children safe! Prevention is the best protection! Wild animals are just doing their thing; they had been roaming the land before even any neighborhoods existed there. In this way, all sides benefit. Thanks for sharing your amazing story with coyotes and dogs. Fascinating indeed! Lots of light and blessings to you, my friend*

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    1. You are right, the wild animals are doing what’s in their nature. Coyotes aren’t vegetarians. So many people let their cats and even small dogs run around the neighborhood and it is very dangerous. It is not just the coyotes but the cars. Thank you so much Susana and lots of light and blessings to you too.

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    1. Yes you have to look out. There are many cities in the US that are spread out, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, not to mention suburbs, and coyotes wander in. I would not expect them in Manhattan or other dense downtowns, but they are everywhere else. They also like to rummage through garbage, like the raccoons. You should probably pay attention to it too with your little dogs.

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      1. I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains and we had bears, wolves, cougars, bobcats, etc. They like to rummage through trash too. In South Carolina I live in a state forest and we have the usual raccoons and foxes. But they don’t bother cats and dogs. What we have to watch out for are owls and hawks. They swoop down at lightning speed and grab small dogs and cats in their powerful claws and are gone just as fast. People here buy those “ Raptor vests” for small dogs that come up high on the neck and are made out of material the claws of hawks or owls cannot penetrate. They have them for coyotes too. We do have coyotes here. Lots of them. But they tend to stay out in the country. Although every once in a while one will roam a city street. Same with wolves.

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    2. We have owls and hawks, but they are not very big. I’ve read that really big owls such as the Great Horned Owl can grab and lift chihuahuas, but we don’t have those kinds of owls, and our dogs are bigger than chihuahuas. It sounds like raptor vests are a good idea for a chihuahua. especially where you live. Luckily there are no wolves in Texas and cougars are not common. I’ve also read that wolves and cougars tend to stay away from cities unlike the coyotes, so we don’t worry about that here in Dallas. There is a bobcat allegedly roaming the neighborhood though, but I’ve never seen him.

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  6. We have a lot of coyotes around us. A few years ago, when we still had both of our Saint Bernards, there was a brave coyote who came right up to our back fence. Both Lucie and Vinnie, each about 150 lbs, were barking and going crazy and Lucie was trying to climb the fence to get to the coyote. He stopped with fright, and rethought his plan. He realized he was WAY out matched and if he got any closer he would be in BIG trouble.

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    1. Wow that’s an interesting story. I don’t think that one coyote would be able to fight two Saint Bernards, or even one, but what they sometimes do is get a big dog to chase one coyote and then the coyote run around a corner where a pack is waiting. So it is better not to chase them.

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    1. I know there are a lot of coyotes in California. It is interesting that they are protected. Here in Texas you are free to shoot as many as you want because they are considered varmint. Not that I would, but that’s a big difference in the law. I think it is a good idea to bring bear spray.

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  8. Yeah, it’s coyote-palooza around here as well. Whenever somebody posts about a missing small dog or outdoor cat we immediately assume the coyotes got them, although sometimes it was a hawk, an owl, or a car. (It’s car-palooza around here too.)

    Earlier this year we had an obviously elderly coyote coming around eating fruit off our tree. At some point he sustained an injury to his flank, which seemed to be healing the last time we saw him. I wish we could have done something to help him but neither the humane society nor fish & game would get involved with a coyote that’s still mobile, so nature must take its course.

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    1. Yes cars is another good reason why you should not let your cats and dogs run loose. You have to protect them. It was very nice of you to try to help the injured coyote. I am not surprised the humane society nor fish & game would help out. It is not a dog and they won’t get involved.

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  9. We have coyotes a well. I am always surprised by people lamenting the loss of a pet that they allow to roam free. If you care for your pets they should never be allowed off leash unless the area is designed for that purpose. Thanks for the post, Thomas.

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    1. I agree. If you let your pet run loose they can easily get killed. There are coyotes, other loose big dogs, bobcats, and perhaps the biggest threat of all, cars. You are essentially asking for it. We have a seven foot fence and we lock our gates, and outside we always use a leash, except the dog park. Thank you so much John.

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  10. People sometimes don’t realize the danger of wild animals. Coyotes are opportunistic predators and will attack weaker prey, often choosing the runt of a litter or a lone animal. Ranchers often have problems with them.

    We occasionally have a lone mountain lion/cougar in our area. They pose an even greater danger to larger animals (dogs) and even people. Quite a few years ago, an elderly couple was walking near the woods when a mountain lion attacked the husband. It go the man’s head in his jaws. The woman whacked it with a big stick and it still wouldn’t release her husband. She ended up stabbing the animal in the eye with a pen before it gave up its grip. The story got national attention, appearing on CNN. The man survived the attack due to his wife’s quick thinking and heroics.

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    1. Yes you are right. I have never encountered cougars but that would be frightening. Coyotes are very unlikely to kill an adult, they are too small, but a cougar on the other hand is very dangerous to anyone. The story you are telling sounds really scary. I did not hear about it but I can understand why it got national attention. His wife was certainly very clever and very brave.

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  11. We’ve been dealing with coyotes ever since we moved to rural Arizona. I was afraid of them because they are wild, we had a child, and I feared that if our two cats got out of the house, they would be eaten. Over the years, however, I have learned to like and respect them. Coyotes are very intelligent predators. Native Americans called them Tricksters, for good reason. One of my friends, a hunter, told me that coyotes know you, even if you don’t know them. They are skilled at sizing up people and other animals. They’re not afraid of my dog, who’s as big as they are, because they know he won’t hurt them. In fact, they count on me to control him when they’re present. But they run off when my neighbor’s dogs are around because the pair always chases them. My husband and I talk to the coyotes like pets. We give them dry dog food and water because they get so emaciated in the summer. Since we’ve been feeding them, they look much healthier. They have never threatened us or our dog. In fact, they rarely threaten the other wildlife in our yard. But I have seen them try to corner a bird or pull one out of a bush by working together in a comical way. I could see why the Natives called them Tricksters. I have also seen their “killing fields” when I was walking in the desert, where they tore apart rabbits and birds and left the bloody remains behind. That always freaks me out because we hear them at night calling to one another and yelping during the “chase.” There is nothing more disconcerting than having a coyote follow you on a walk or slip behind you when you’re getting its food. I do not show any fear. I just talk to them calmly and go about my business. They know I will not harm them. They know I am a source of food. Yes, they could hurt me, but it’s not in their best interest to do so. Coyotes are very skittish and any little sound can send them running off. Our coyotes know us, however, and their behavior is tailored to their experience with us. People who let their cats and small dogs run wild will probably end up with no pets. That’s the owner’s fault. Carrying a gun, mace, pepper spray, bear spray, or even a whistle, are all good deterrents.

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    1. That is a very interesting story. I agree with you “people who let their cats and small dogs run wild will probably end up with no pets, and that’s the owner’s fault.” Coyotes are wildlife and a natural presence and they need to be respected. That they kill rabbits and birds is natural. So does my dog not to mention our neighbor’s cat. Cats running lose kill 3 billion birds per year in the US. However, sometimes coyotes can harm pets in their backyard. It is difficult to know what to do about that. Shooting millions of coyotes is not the answer. Like you say, carrying mace/pepper spray is probably a good idea when you go for walks.

      Interesting information about “sizing up”. When that coyote ran up to me and my little dogs he was probably sizing us up. He saw that I was ready to defend my dogs so he just continued on his way.

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    1. Yes if you are attacked you should face them rather than run. As an adult you can easily fight off a coyote. They are smaller than an adult German Shepherd. If its a pack it is more difficult but an attack by a pack almost never happens. This advice is especially true if you are attacked by a cougar. A cougar is a lot more dangerous and can kill an adult but you can typically get out of it by facing them, walk backwards, look at them (but don’t stare), scream and look big, pick up a rock and throw at them, etc. If you run you have no chance. There is a youTube video about a guy who did exactly that. He was attacked and stalked by a cougar for six minutes and he filmed the whole thing. The last thing that happened was that after the cougar left he filmed his own face and famously said “so that just happened”.

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    3. Yes that is true for black bears and for cougars. If you check out the video you can see the guy doing exactky that. It’s true for coyotes too. If you run it triggers their chase instinct and if you make yourself big and noisy it can help scare them off. It is less true for grizzly bears and polar bears. You basically have no chance if they come after you. But you can avoid running and if they still come after you lay down and play dead. Trying to scare them by looking big won’t help.

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  13. This hits close to home for me, as my dog was bitten by a coyote a few months ago. Thankfully, she has made a full recovery, but it was a painful lesson. Coyotes are taking over urban areas everywhere, it seems. We have strict gun laws here, so nobody is shooting them (nor should they!), but I wish there was a way to round them up and relocate them. ☹️

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    1. I am so sorry about that Debbie. I am happy that your dog is making full recovery. Yes they are becoming more common and are becoming habituated to people and cities. It’s like as with crows, seagulls and rats, animals that thrive on human civilization. Like you say you can’t go around shooting them, even if you are allowed to here in Texas, because there are millions of them. We have to learn how to live with them and protect our small pets and small children.

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    1. I’ve heard coyotes howl when I’ve been camping on the country side, and like you say it is a haunting sound. Even though I’ve seen coyotes dozens of times here in Dallas I’ve never heard them howl here. Maybe there’s too much noise and things going on for them to do that. Yes keep Maverick safe and don’t let him out alone.

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  17. Your stare must have been powerful! I appreciate the balance in this post and that you respect the coyotes right to life, humane treatment and respect. I admire them. It is extremely important that people not let their dogs or cats run lose or unattended. Our husky mix Marley would probably try to play with a coyote, but we still don’t let him outside unleashed or even unsupervised in the fenced yard.

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    1. Thank you JoAnna. Yes we have to respect them and their right to life and accept that they are living with us. I think it is us dog owners who need to take responsibility for protecting our small dogs. I would not be surprised if Marley could play with a coyote. I remember talking to a woman on-line who owned a coyote and dog mix, a coydog. So they are similar to dogs and can get along with dogs.

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    1. Thank you so much MMC. I like both small and big dogs but our Bronco was special. He was such a big goof, big, fluffy, energic, and very loving and protective. He saved the life of our pug and probably our Labrador as well.

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  21. Fascinating stuff Thomas from the perspective of someone like me who has never seen a coyote in the flesh. I remember the first time I even heard a coyote mentioned was when I was a kid at the cinema watching E.T. Mike tells mum he thinks the coyote is back again (when they find E.T.’s footprints in the toolshed). I had to ask my dad what the heck a coyote was. To compound matters, I remember seeing that the dude who plays Keys is called Peter Coyote. I was like…. what?!?

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    1. That is interesting. I never paid attention to that. I think that probably the most famous examples of a coyote in the movie business is Wile E. Coyote. He is a cartoon character from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series. He is trying to catch a bird, a road runner, and in trying to do so comes up with all kinds of crazy plans that often involves stuff he bought at a store called Acme. For example, he flies a balloon and tries to drop an anvil on the road runner.

      Got to keep an eye out for Coyote Activity!
      byu/Adeptness_Same inGenX

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  24. We don’t have coyotes here (in Spain), but we get some wildlife in the city every so often, especially in some areas. It must have been a scary situation, and your warning will be very useful to many people. Thanks, Thomas, and Merry Christmas!

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    1. I did not realize you live in Spain. I would like to visit one day. Coyotes are smaller than wolf but bigger than foxes. They are not scary to me but I was scared for my little dogs. Thank you Olga and Merry Christmas to you.

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  25. It’s a continuous battle and I think we have driven them out which brings them around. I resorted to putting up a gate and TG they don’t come in my yard anymore at all and it was 4 times a day.. morning noon, afternoon and night.. ugh!!!😩

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    1. Ouch that sounds like you had a big and dangerous problem. It is great that you have been able to stop them with a gate. We have a seven foot fence that they can’t get over but we also have to worry about a bobcat roaming the neighborhood.

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    1. I can believe that. The US is 3.8 million square miles and I read that the estimate is that there are 3-5 million coyotes in the US. We have a seven feet fence but I’ve always kept an eye on our small dogs when they are outside. In addition to coyotes we have a bobcat roaming the neighborhood and some hawks could be dangerous too, even though they can’t lift a small dog.

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  27. I live in coyote country, Thomas. We hear them singing at night in our forest, but I haven’t seen one in the yard yet. I’m also of the live-and-let-live persuasion, but we walk our puny (doxypom or pomeweenie) dog on a leash. Losing him would be devastating. Thanks for the reminder to be careful and vigilant.

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    1. Thank you Diane. Yes you have to be careful with small dogs. If you meet one just face them and show them you are ready to protect your small dogs. They are not likely to attack an adult unless there are many. Having your small dog on a leash is a very good idea. The worst would be if he ran off and the coyotes chased him.

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