Found a coyote, I think

   / Found a coyote, I think #61  
Dean, That's a good suggestion. Thanks.

Robert, Thanks for the link!


It would be nice to get established with a cooperative vet so that, in case of an emergency, we could get treatment for her. If she got injured or something.

More later. We're having folks over for dinner and neighbors have been dropping by. Grand Central around here.

Sooooo. whats for dinner? Are we having cocktails before?:licking:
 
   / Found a coyote, I think
  • Thread Starter
#62  
Chinese pasta soup with beef and chicken in a spicy tomato broth.
Hot pepper beef with peperoncini and rice.
Peanut butter cookies and Makers Mark Whisky for desert.

Excellent.

And all the while, a small coyote playing around the table. Jumping, and rolling around with the other dogs or resting on the couch and watching the proceedings with sleepy eyes.

The wood stove flickering in the corner and the full moon lighting the night outside.

Hanging out with good friends, laughing and playing games.
 
   / Found a coyote, I think #63  
I think that coyotes like wolves are a very social animal and they bond deeply to their pack. While they are pups they both seem to be wary of everything, hence the socializing with every thing she could come in contact with. It is difficult, but my wife spent 24 7 with ours when they were pups. Traing her on the leash is good saves trouble down the road. By the looks of the pics she is doing well. Mine have never been chained up, and from what I have seen of others that have it is not good, they need to be with their pack( your family). Is she getting better about her growling over her food? I don't know what you are feeding her, but any quality dog food will be good, we supliment ours with frozen Bil-Jac it is high protien and helps with their extra needs.
Good Luck

Randy
 
   / Found a coyote, I think
  • Thread Starter
#64  
Randy,

I don't know if she is getting better about the food. As she changes her eating schedule and frequency and food, it doesn't always coincide with the other dogs. Plus the other dogs get a cabbage treat in the evenings. But Sandy eats with an urgency. The bottle feeding period was sort of frantic and that urgency seems to have carried over to the regular food in a bowl. In the wild I'm sure there would be a lot of competition, so I just see it as natural. None of them are going hungry.

I'm curious as to what the next step will be in her development. She growls and plays but is extremely gentle in her biting. As I've mentioned before, she will close her mouth down on fingers or my wrist, even while growling, but with only the slightest pressure. Very loving. She romps and bites with our terrier, like a sister. But at what age will she begin to be more wild or more aggressive? Even now she is very sensitive to strange sounds and wants to go hide or pulls on her leash mindlessly. If she was bigger, she could be a handful, especially if she was more aggressive.

Tonight she, once again displayed a sort of hyper activity. Running around and trying to tear up everything. Playing, growling and looking for anything to play with. Just what I'd expect from a puppy. But she does it when she is really tired and ready to go to bed. So we put her in her box and cover it and she is quiet immediately and off to sleep. Sort of like an over tired kid.

She now knows "eat", "be nice", "sit", "pee", "poo", "go home", "drink water". Of course, she's wild and distracted most of the time. So those words don't always mean much.

We leave the leash on her a lot of the time and she drags it around seemingly without thought. Then we tie her up for short periods outside so she can go in her regular spot. She is beginning to get herself untangled if it's not to complicated. But she doesn't want to be led around on the leash and pulls back with her feed dug in. We will never chain her and leave her.
I'm now considering a fenced in area where al the dogs could spend time and have a lot of freedom. It's high desert here and they might have an area of about 80' by 60' of natural plants and sandy ground. The rabbits could come and go to, if the wire is the right size. We have lots of jacks and cottontails.
 
   / Found a coyote, I think #65  
Sounds like you have it under control, the only thing I can think of is when she is playing and gets to rough ( bites to hard, or jumping up at you, ect.) is to let her know you don't like it. Raise your voice, tell her No, Bad and stop playing with her for a little while, it won't take long. Her litter mates and mother would have done the same she just needs the input to know when stop or how far to push. You are right they act just like a young child they get rowdy and carry on to fight off going to sleep, you are ahead of her on this just put her to bed. Our Boy is 4 but he still bounces off the walls at times, especially Saturday mornings when he thinks that I should be outside playing with him.
Have fun, take it day by day and enjoy
Randy
 
   / Found a coyote, I think #66  
You have interfered with nature. Hope it doesn't bite you in the butt. Literally. It appears you have abandoned any pretense of giving up the coyote. (Your references to rabies shots at 4 months) That coyote will always be a wild animal. You might be interested in this story.

Cheetahs Mauls Woman on 60th Birthday Trip | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo!
 
   / Found a coyote, I think
  • Thread Starter
#67  
Red,

Many, many of us interfere with nature in any number of ways. So did ancient people when they began to live closer to dogs that were wild. So does modern man when he hunts just for sport. People love to shoot coyotes just for the fun of it.

I'm curious enough about life that Im willing to go learn about animals in an unusual setting. To take a look at our dogs wild ancestors, or the wild ones that live outside and thrive. How do they differ from the ones we call pets?

As I have mentioned before, this situation fell in our lap. We tried to send her back to the wild and it didn't work. So the choices were to leave her to freeze to death (and she almost did) or bring her in and save her.

One night led to two, and on to six weeks and counting. She might go to her next home next week, or it might be a couple of months. We will keep her safe and enjoy the time while we can.

The most valuable input is from those with some experience. And I'm also taking all the fearful reactions into account too, as part of the study.

One of the things about this study is learning how to care for an animal that is so close to the ones we live with, but so reviled by almost everyone. It's tricky. Veterinary care is one of the problems. Vaccinating is another. Then there's food and care. Establishing a good enough rapport to allow everyone involved to thrive. And finding her a place to move on to when it's time. It was too late to give her back to her mother on the first night and I had no intention of killing her. Once she entered our life and home, her life changed course and she survived.

I don't know how long she will be with us and I have no intention of waiting to the last minute to learn the things I might need, like how to vaccinate her.

To me it's very interesting to see the similarities and the differences between domestic dogs. So much can be learned. So far I really can't see any differences except she gets tired and cranky and she is a bit more wary than I might expect.

She's fun and is learning lots of things. She is setting up habits that serve her by giving her a sense of routine and safety. She is part of the pack and establishing her place in the hierarchy. She has a den that is safe.

This isn't easy, but so far it's been a lot of fun and an experience neither of us will forget. The neighbors we have let in on the secret are getting a lot out of it too.

So you are right, but you are missing the point. Life and learning are two very important things to me and I'm willing to take some risk to safe a dog and get to know an animal that I otherwise would not. And, by the way, even I have enough sense not to live with a Cheetah.

Something you might consider unnatural, might be far more natural than you realize.

Meanwhile, she is batting a ball around the living room floor, chasing and having fun. We all spent the day four wheeling up to 9,000' in the high desert. Out walking around, exploring, taking pictures and picking up rocks. She was right there and having a great day with me, my wife and our other two dogs.

I'll keep you posted.
 
   / Found a coyote, I think #68  
Raspy,

I wouldn't worry too much about a vet turning you in... We leave in a society of paranoia. Go to exoticanimalsforsale.com. It's crazy what you can buy right here in the USA!!! They everything from camels, cats, wolf pups, sloths, to stuff I've never even heard of. The seller's info is listed and how much they want. They also list what state they are in. Did you know a two toed sloth can carry leprosy? I'd personally like to try raising a fox someday. I was driving through the country one time in a part of the county I don't go to very often. I looked across the field and saw a camel standing amongst the horses! I had a few beers earlier in the day but not that many!! I've been been that farm several more times to show some friends. I think there are a lot more exotic animals around then we know!
 
   / Found a coyote, I think #69  
Raspy, It is a wonderful learning experience that a lot of people will never undertake or understand, and a connection with life that most people can not fathom.:thumbsup:
 
   / Found a coyote, I think
  • Thread Starter
#70  
Randy,

Well said.

It's touching, educational, fun. A real connection with the wild all around us. And yet so similar to the experience of having a regular dog. So far, no different.

I look at her in amazement. This healthy, strong, smart and fun little dog came in from the wild and brought a ton of personality with her. She already knew how to interact with our dogs and they know she is a baby with special needs.

Her siblings and thousands of others just like her are romping around being dogs, right now, somewhere out in the brush.

This one is thriving in our world.

Changes come almost everyday. She can now jump up onto the couch, her tail and rear legs are getting thicker and feel real solid. She is getting more gray in her coat and tail. And she is actively looking for toys around the house to chase and bite.
 

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