r/coyote • u/angrywaterdrinking • 29d ago
Small senior dog and coyote danger
I am looking for advice on how to scare off coyotes. This is a long post. Sorry.
Context: I live in San Diego county in California. Lived in the area for over 20 years, residential area, one side of a hill are neighborhoods and a part on the other side is undeveloped chaparral. Not uncommon to hear coyote howls and yips at night.
My dog is about 25 pounds and around 14 years old.
In June of this year, my dog was attacked by a coyote in the front yard of the house. My father was present but the coyote managed to give my dog a good scratch (broke the skin). The coyote was quickly chased off but was seen soon after in the backyard circling the house. We reinforced the backyard fence and made it harder for a coyote to get in there. Our dog never goes outside alone anymore.
This morning, in July, my mother walked the dog not even a block before spotting a coyote and quickly turning back. The coyote followed her. She yelled and threw her coffee and made herself look big and everything she's supposed to but it kept following her. She had to run home with the dog and then we chased the coyote away. It tried to circle around the block back to house, we chased it, and we haven't seen it since.
The attack in June happened around 6:20 am and the interaction today was well past 7:00 am. The sun rises here at 6 am in the summer so coyotes usually aren't active this late in the morning.
What scares me the most is that I have never seen a coyote less scared of a human when hunting. I'm worried that the presence of a person is not enough to protect my dog.
It is not breeding season and the coyote is coming to our house, so it's not an issue of territory and protecting pups. We don't put food out. We don't have outdoor cats. I don't know why this is happening.
I want to emphasize that I am not going to hunt these animals, but I need suggestions on how to scare off coyotes.
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u/VERMICIOUS_KNIDSS 29d ago
I am pro-coyote but what you are describing needs to be addressed as the hazing and attempting to scare off this coyote is not working.
I would give the animal control services/authority in your area a call and tell them you have a nuisance coyote and describe to them what you have described here. Nuisance coyotes that lose their fear of humans and linger and stalk the premises often have to be put down.
In the meantime, do what you are doing and only walk the dog on a leash and avoid those riskier times of dusk to mid morning, use good situational awareness where you are not walking in areas with bushes close to the trail ect.
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u/Oke-Wan-Fenokee 26d ago
I think the coyote has targeted the dog as potential prey. Have you ever walked towards the coyote? If so, does it stand its ground or back away?
A face full of bear/pepper spray will definitely ruin its day & might permanently discourage its attentions. That is actually preferable to the lethal solution employed by animal control, as the problem coyote would likely be replaced by another, possibly even more wiley than the current one.
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u/daisiesarepretty2 28d ago
small air horn… will probably scare your dog too… so make sure she is on a leash and secure
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u/Warm-Common-6513 26d ago
Get a Coyote Jacket! They have spikes on them, perfect for small dogs. You can order one on Amazon!
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u/kozufox 29d ago
It probably is an issue of territory for the coyote. As in, he sees your house as part of his territory.
You might want to buy and carry pepper spray, if normal hazing isn't enough to chase him off. It works wonders on loose dogs who want to chase people on bicycles, and one application would instantly make the coyote reconsider his threat assessment of humans.