Dog Community

"Leave It" "Come" Thank Goodness!!!

Posted : 5/4/2006 6:57:07 AM

So, yesterday morning I was out with Sequoyah playing frisbee in the rain. On one particular throw, she caught the thing as usual, but stopped in her tracks and looked down back toward my paddock.
I thought she was looking to see if Miles was out there. I said "He's not there - leave it -come", which she did.
It wasn't until I went out back a few minutes later to do my barn chores that I realized what she had been looking at. He was still there right where she had alerted. A coyote!
Thank goodness she did as she was told. "Leave it - come"

I can't stress enough that those two words can save your dog's life. Sequoyah weighs about 30 pounds, certainly no more, and this guy was probably 45-50.

Julie Byers

Posted : 5/4/2006 9:44:14 AM

Way to go! That's where the 'verb' of dog ownership paid off in spades... Nice work, Dog-Mom.

Jules

Terri

Posted : 5/4/2006 11:21:22 AM

When I was walking Loki and Odin on the trails behind our house the other day, we saw a coyote come out of the bushes. He followed us for about a half mile before we got back to a more populated area. At one point, he was about 100 feet away. Needless to say the dogs were going crazy, pulling and barking. But he never backed away. Should I be scared? Would a coyote attack us? I always thought they'd be scared of two good sized dogs, but this one sure didn't seem to be.

jeano

Posted : 5/4/2006 1:20:31 PM

Anne, I'm glad Sequoyah knows that so well! Good job! (And what a relief!)

Loki's Mom: They generally hunt in a minimum of pairs. There was probably another coyote also following you that you didn't see.

If you walk them where there are lots of coyotes, I'd carry a gun or something that looks like a gun. Coyotes are wicked smart, they know what a gun is and will not mess with you. They are also very, very curious. I've often encountered them and watched them, as they watched me. I'm sure the dogs were the attraction.

Were your dogs marking in their territory? Do you have a female in season or about to be in season? That'd be the time I'd worry. Don't leave your dog outside without a fence, they do kill dogs, they consider them competition.

Terri

Posted : 5/4/2006 1:57:27 PM

Well, we live "in the city" but we're right on the edge of a protected marsh are with miles of trails. At night we can hear the coyotes, but I never have seen one before the other day.

Both dogs are male and neither was marking the territory until the coyote showed up, then Odin seemed to get nervous and start doing it. The coyote didn't seem to be "hunting" us, so much as curiously following us, although I know very little about coyote behavior.

jeano

Posted : 5/4/2006 2:13:17 PM

I really like coyotes. They do investigate like that. I'm pretty sure the coyotes that were around you (it probably wasn't alone) were just checking you out.

I've been walking alone and had the luck to be investigated by a coyote. We looked at each other for a while, I told him I was harmless, and then he and his mate hunted the field nearby for rodents. It was a real treat watching that.

They are one of the most successful animals in North American because they are so smart and adaptable. As long as you don't leave your dogs out alone and unfenced you won't have any problems.

Terri

Posted : 5/4/2006 2:53:43 PM

Thanks for your advice. While it was happening, I really wasn't nervous about it. I saw him come up the hill towards us and since there was nothing to do but keep going, I told him that we weren't going to bother him. Like I said, he just seemed curious. But afterwards I got to thinking that maybe I should be more cautious. Someone suggested carrying pepper spray. And the dogs are always fenced when they're outside, so I'd never worry about a dog coming into our yard--like I said, we sort of live in the city.

spiritdogs

Posted : 5/4/2006 4:51:39 PM

I seem to recall that a member of one of the forums I'm on lost a three month old Aussie pup when he was attacked while on leash!
Coyotes are smart, are not as fearful of humans when their habitat is smack dab in the suburbs, and if they live somewhere where there is no hunting allowed, they don't get what guns are, as they do where jeano lives.
I really like coyotes, too, and appreciate their cleverness and adaptability. But, I also take precautions so that my dogs don't end up on the coyote dinner table. Direct Stop is great - it won't do any permanent damage, scares the wits out of them, and they can "get" that the human has one of those can things....so better not to approach.

ron2

Posted : 5/4/2006 7:34:47 PM

If you were walking two or more dogs, I don't think the coyote would charge, as he would be trying to take on a pack.

OTOH, Duke, the JRT that was Shadow's playmate got out of his yard one day and was killed by a coyote. I agree with others here, they are to be admired and respected and avoided, if possible.

jeano

Posted : 5/4/2006 7:38:12 PM

Actually, my coyote experiences were from gun-happy New Mexico. I saw a coyote out on the frozen ice on my way up the ALCAN a few years ago, though. The nice close encounter was in Santa Cruz, in the redwood forest.

The are here, though, too. They're pretty much everywhere! However I think we have more wolves than coyotes in Alaska.

CMarshall

Posted : 5/4/2006 8:55:33 PM

Yeah for Sequoyah! Yikes Coyotes just give me the creeps.