Coyote Attack

Coyotes cause a lot of deaths of small dogs and cats over on Mustang Island where Port Aransas is.  Winter Texas are warned not to let their small dogs outside unless on a leash and supervised.  I have never head of a human being attacked, just small dogs and cats.

 One night my son and I were over fishing a pier, alone, when two coyotes came and stood at the head of the peir.  Then did not come onto the pier, but did get into trash bvarrel there at the start of the peir.  They were just looking for food.  But we were nervous, I can tell you.  Had it been a single one I wold have thought rabid--I grew up listing to stories about rabid dogs from my dad and grandpa and fear that disease

But I will admit I feel sorry for all these animls whose homes are being taken over by housing developements, etc.  We move into what has been their homes forever and expect them to move on elsewhere.  I realize that this country is growing and people have to have places to live.  But on the other hand, these animals also have to hve a place to leve.  Their land is encroached on, thier normal prey is all but eradicated, and they turn to the next thing--garbage, and what ever domestic animals they can catch.  It really is a sad situation all the way around.

kelliope

Well, for starters I wouldn't have posted the whole gory incident on a forum.  I wouldn't have then elaborated on how proud I was of my dogs ripping apart a coyote that WAS trying to get away, but kept being repeatedly pulled down and attacked.  I wouldn't have posted it at all. 

In the best of all possible worlds, there is no violence and no creature ever gets hurt.  Sorry, but I don't live there.

Have you ever watched a nature show where a lion kills a gazelle or a crocodile takes a baby hippo?  That is the way that nature works and I see no reason to keep such violence a secret.  Nature is magnificent, but not always kind.

The OP is recovering from a scary episode.  She is proud of her dogs for defending her and sorry that the dogs and the coyote were hurt.  Her vivid writing is her way of coping with the whole situation and I am glad that she posted.

I do feel a little sorry for the coyote, the gazelle, the baby hippo, etc.  I think that most on this board feel the same way.  However, I also respect and admire the skill of the predators.

The "I don't want to hear about it" mentality is very strange to me.  I just don't understand it at all.  Does it make it easier to pretend that episodes like this actually happen?  Is it a matter of being squeamish like the folks that can't watch a surgery on TV? 

Please enlighten me!  Why did you feel like it was appropriate to highjack this thread to discuss the fact that you don't like to hear about gory incidents?

AuroraLove

Kelliope's post got me thinking what else I could have done and there was no way I was going to reach into that fight, especially with the threat of rabies. I dotn doubt for a moment the coyote would have bitten me. He bit into Rory's face horribly

Nothing you could do about yesterday but today, tomorrow, and the next days, you could work on the COME and HOUSE command.  No matter who wins, any fighting is going to cause injury and firmly teaching the commands can save the dog's life as well as the wildlife's. 

I know, 3 Great Danes and 3 fosters (a hound included) cornered a racoon in my backyard.  A lot of commotion and a lot of hysteria but my command worked and the dogs filed into the house.  I was very proud of them.  But not so proud when they got a hold of a possum or a cat that came in the yard.  I was not there to stop it.

AuroraLove...I hope BOTH your dogs recover well and fully, and I hope you have no further issues with wildlife...this sounds like a truly terrifying experience and I'd like to think that my dogs would at least try to defend their territory and by extention...myself and my children. Even the friendly Beagles in my yard have killed...and may yet still. I don't hold it against them. Judgement is so very easy when you have time to compose a page about what you would do.

This whole incident is very strange to me. I live on the central coast of California, not out in the wilderness but we do have a protected anmial habitat that consists of small brush and massive dunes about a mile form where I live.

We have a lot of possums and racoons so we keep no trash or food in the back yard. The neighbor on one side of me has two Malinios, on the other side is a Chow and a Bull Terrier so no matter what yard this coyote ended up in he was not welcome.

I'm really confused because we chased him out over the fence the night before so I dont understand why he came back. The AC thinks he was gonna make a den under the deck but our yard has GOT to smell like our dogs AND the neighbor dogs so I just dont get it. The otehr dogs in teh neighborhood were freaking out and I can only assume the situation would have been close to the same if the coyote was found in there yard.

I also want to point out the coyote could have jumped over the fence and when Primo and I first spotted him, instead he tried to bypass Primo and run around the other side of me towards teh center of the yard instead of back over the gate where hr came in and where we chased him off before. Thats why I posted this picture.....

He was in that corner and the pic was taken from the middle of the yard so he ran towards me...maybe not AT me with intent to attack but he sure as heck didnt try and retreat. What the heck was I to do? Or Primo for that matter? If the coyote did get passed Primo and then me he would have been at our backdoor and us in the yard.....that dosnt make sense either.

Auroralove,

I am so sorry to hear what happened. I just came upon this post, a little late, but as I read through I'm glad to hear that your dogs are as good as they can be for now and you are safe. Keep us posted on how they are doing...and don't take no mind to that Kelliope, I think what your dogs did was great and I can only hope that if my dogs needed to protect me that they would do the same.

ETA: I for one, AM PROUD of your dogs!! They protected you and themselves. Poor babies, GET WELL SOON RORY AND PRIMO! 

 Oh crap, I just thought of this.  Is there anywhere that there might be kits (baby foxes) hidden???  If it so persistently tried to get back towards the house rather than skeedaddling over the fence it could have been a momma fox trying to get to her babes......    Gosh, I hope not, but it might be worth some investigation around and under your place, just in case. Maybe have your neighbors check as well, she might have gotten confused if she hid them and was trying to get back to them....  eek.

Did AC find the coyote and put it down?  I'm wondering if it had rabies and what gender it was. 

DPU

Nothing you could do about yesterday but today, tomorrow, and the next days, you could work on the COME and HOUSE command.  No matter who wins, any fighting is going to cause injury and firmly teaching the commands can save the dog's life as well as the wildlife's. 

With all due respect, my dogs have 99% recall. I dont think you understand there was a 50lbs or more coyote in my yard, in my dog'sterritory running in my direction. Regardless of wether his intent was to attack or not I dont blame my dogs for not waiting to find out. I called Rory off when the coyote was under the wheel barrow, she looked back at me and thats when she got bit in the face causing her worst wounds. Do you understand how that makes me feel?

AuroraLove

Do you understand how that makes me feel?

I know this must be the very devil to process, and I think you are doing well talking it out...I'm not even able to begin to know how you feel inside, but I do hope you know I am hoping you feel better soon...and the dogs too.

It was a male, it was found and they are going to do a test on it to see if it carried rabies so we can worn the neighbors about the potential threat.

They said if it was a female it would have retreated without a fight UNLESS it did have babies there but no, it was defintly a male. He was a big guy too, I didnt know they got that big. My vet also said coyotes have a heavier bite then domestic dogs....even pit bulls! I didnt know that. Its snout was so long it encomapssed Rory's whole head when he bit her.

So all that aside.....look at the swelling on her nose. I dont know enough about dog anatomy to give a educated guess on how bad it might have punctured her nasal cavity but she was sneezing up blood for awhile yesterday

Above you can see this side of her face is where his top teeth dug in, his mouch was wide enough to get the top of her head and wrap around her snout.

This is the other side where you can see his bottom canine dug in real bad....

AuroraLove

I also want to point out the coyote could have jumped over the fence and when Primo and I first spotted him, instead he tried to bypass Primo and run around the other side of me towards teh center of the yard instead of back over the gate where hr came in and where we chased him off before.

This is really sounding like you encountered a sick coyote.  Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean rabies.  It could have been any canine illness which causes a fever or otherwise effects judgement.

If it was rabies, your dogs were protected by vaccinations and they removed a serious neighborhood threat.

Owie!!!  Is she letting you touch her head yet?  I'm wondering if icing her snout might help the swelling.  I'm sure there's bruising along with the punctures.  Poor babies.

 PS: Check your PM.

AuroraLove

So all that aside.....look at the swelling on her nose. I dont know enough about dog anatomy to give a educated guess on how bad it might have punctured her nasal cavity but she was sneezing up blood for awhile yesterday

Poor Rory!  I hope she is feeling better soon.

Sending lots of i-dog healing vibes!!  Give her some ear rubs from me.

Man, that really looks painful. Poor thing. 

I'm glad that they found the coyote. Keep us updated 

From what I've read it sounds like the coyote probably was sick, I would think a well one would have jumped the fence the instant your dogs appeared. Im glad your okay and I hope your doggies heal up fast. I know this had to be a frightening incident for you.

Dogs will be dogs.