Found a coyote, I think

[Raspy]

Update on our coyote friend:

She seems to be very smart and ready to be a "real" dog. Plays with the other dogs, eats from a bowl without any training, wants to play tug-of-war with anything made of cloth, has learned the microwave sound means meal time, knows the word "eat", is semi-house trained, growls as she plays, hears very well, is beginning to focus her eyesight and walks on a leash. All at 4 1/2 weeks old.

Our little terrier protects her from any other dogs that might be a threat, and from our cat, who wants to play with her.

She howls at the moon, with her head straight up, whenever we start howling or my wife plays the harmonica.

Just the cutest, most honest, playful and natural little animal I can imagine. Really fun. Settling into a routine. Developing a relationship with our other two dogs and our cat.

Now I suppose a lot of you are cringing and predicting the worst, offering warnings in advance, thinking she should be shot for the public good, etc. Well, I can tell you that this is a wonderful experience, very educational and we have an exit strategy. We also did not set this up to be a threat to others, or cost others. We won't allow her to become a nuisance. This whole thing came about innocently and we are learning a great deal from it. Unfortunately, we expect to give her up fairy soon and just don't want her to be killed for the "public good".

Any of you that love dogs and understand dogs can be confident that you also understand coyotes. At least in the early stages. What a fun loving, curious and sweet little animal she is. So far.

 

[MotorSeven]

This is very interesting and I wonder when the assimilation will stop and her wild genes will kick in? She sure is a pretty pup!

 

[dmccarty]

I cant remember if I have seen one or two documentaries that talk about the differences in dogs vs other K9s. I think there have been two shows on in the last year or two that have been very interesting. One or both shows interviewed researchers in Austria looking at the differences between dogs and wolves. The wolves have been raised with humans since they were born but at some point genes kick in and the wolves are wolves. They act like wolves and there is nothing that can be done to stop it.

The show has some really interesting video showing how a dog actually takes cues from humans. A human can point at something and a dog understands that the person is pointing and will get/investigate the object. Other K9's do not understand the pointing. The dogs genes are wired to very much read a human. Other K9's are not.

Either in the same documentary or another one, they showed research in Russia with other wild K9s. I think they were foxes. The researcher were showing how "wild" caged foxes behaved vs foxes that had been breed to remove the wildness from the animals. It took quite a few generations to remove the wildness but the animals still do not pick up on human mannerisms like a dog.

Later,
Dan

 

[Travelover]

I wish you both the best. Keep us posted.

 

[Raspy]

I saw those documentaries too. Very interesting.

The story about the foxes and breeding them for tameness was especially interesting. After some number of generations of picking the mildest mannered ones to breed, they also started getting other colors. Then they tried the process with the meanest ones and ended up with totally crazed animals no one could approach.

I'm expecting our little dog to have more and more energy, be more uncontrollable and skittish over time. She is already startled by sounds and growls a lot while playing. So far it's all an expression of love with lots of wolf kisses where she opens her mouth and closes it down on a finger or a wrist with the most gentle touch. Lots of biting blankets and tugging.

She won't come when we call her, but she knows household sounds and how they relate to food. She now walks on a leash. The cat wants to play, but they haven't figured out the game. One dog just tolerates her and the other has become her protector and playmate. She has a predictable enough schedule that we have very few messes in the house. She sleeps in a big plastic tub and is in there a lot at only 5 weeks old, but the rest of the time has free run of the house.

What a lovely little animal. I wonder what her siblings, if any, are doing now. They are living in the wild and their mother is straining to keep them fed. Predators are on the lookout. And the little ones are probably tumbling around practicing their hunting skills by playing. They are in their natural environment and doing fine within those confines.

It's fun to get a glimpse into the personality and nature of an animal that most people deeply fear and revile. One that few see for more than a fleeting glance, if at all. One notorious for being smart and tricky. One that most folks, out in the country, want to shoot for sport or to protect their other animals. Yet one so closely related to pets that live in the house with most of us. In fact one that, at least at a very young age, is so affectionate and fun. One that needs warmth and care. One that so easily relates to humans and other domestic animals.

She cannot see well yet. Her eyes have been open since Easter, and she has been sensitive to light even longer, but she isn't using that sense very much yet. I looked very closely at her pupils and they seem to be tearing open slowly. Not a round hole and not changing in diameter, yet.

We know we can't keep her permanently, but, at this point she's fine. A couple of my concerns are getting her veterinary attention. We can't go to a vet, so we are looking for alternatives for shots. And later, when she is more wild, it might be that no vet could handle her without getting bitten. So we are considering training her to accept a muzzle now. Then, in a few weeks we could tend to any wounds or give her treatments, if needed, more safely.

Eventually, she will go to the rescue zoo and be fine. Visitors can meet her and see this beautiful and normally elusive dog up close. Returning her to the wild would be the best thing, but I can't teach her how to hunt and she can't live close to other animals safely, I guess. Even if she could, someone would shoot her for sport. I won't take any chances with the neighbors animals.

In a fantasy world, we would breed her next February with a very mild mannered, medium sized male and have coydogs. They would probably make fine pets out in the country and we could keep one or two.

As I write this, my wife and "Sandy" are practicing their howling. Sandy warms up with some growling, a few yips and then looks straight up and howls. Very funny. A baby coyote feeling her oats. Relating to others. Having fun. Then she's all warmed up and ready to play.

 

[jonyyuma]

What a warm story...Good Luck with your decision. The photo of the pup and dog is great..Small animals can tug at your heart strings...It is too late for it not to hurt...I remember when my pup came to me in a sock, he lasted over 15 years in our family...

 

[RobertBrown]

See if you can get that song dog to sing.
Get yourself and your wife to howl softly at a high pitch and i'll bet you'll get a real reaction out of that one.
she might even call back

 

[Mousefield]

I just hope her bark or howl will always be worse than her bite.
Having wild animals as pets in NOT always a smart idea. Just saying.

 

[El Wood]

Raspy,

I know a lot of people would disagree, but I would keep her and name her "Wily" the coyote (if you didn't already have a name). I would just keep a close eye on her and watch for any aggressive behavior. I would also build her a den that has access to the outdoors. I wouldn't cage her up. If she becomes a problem later, you can always cross that bridge then. You may never have a problem with her and she could be a great part of the family. My friend had a coon once that was just like a dog. He would roll on his back and you could rub his belly like a dog. He would come inside sometimes but mainly lived in a tree off the deck. He just made sure he had access to the wild. If you go to YouTube there are lots of videos on coyotes as pets. Keep posting the pics!

 

[Raspy]

Robert,

She does howl pretty easily. We are doing as you say and softly howl together. Another excellent way is for my wife to play her harmonica. Whenever she does, our little terrier starts right in howling like crazy. So funny. That sets off Sandy and off they go.

There are a lot of coyotes around us and we hear them every night. They cross our place and we hear them, as a pack, on either side at different times. I have tried to go out at night and see them. I can get close but when I turn on the light they all go silent and disappear. Just blend into the night.

We are away right now so her pals are out of range.

I can't figure out if she is making us howl or if we are making her howl. :laughing: