If you have coyotes in your area, then you might be worried about what will happen if your dog encounters one. You love your dog and you want to do your best to take care of it so that you can keep having fun with your pet for a long time.
The threat that coyotes pose to dogs in some areas should be taken very seriously. Coyotes can and will attack dogs if you don’t take the right precautions.
You might be wondering why it is that coyotes seem to attack dogs so often, though. Is there a good reason why coyotes seem to target dogs?
Read on to learn more about why coyotes attack dogs so that you can protect your pets. You’ll also learn about several things that you should be doing to try to keep your dogs safe.
Coyotes Attack Dogs to Provide for Their Puppies
During mating season, coyotes are going to go out hunting more often to try to provide for their puppies. The mating season begins in February, and coyotes will have puppies between April and August.
It’s normal for coyotes to be even more active hunters than usual during this period of time. If you wish to protect your dogs, then you’ll want to be vigilant during coyote mating season.
Of course, coyotes need food at all times of the year, and this means that they will attack dogs if they need to eat and think that they can easily kill the dog. It might be more likely that a small dog will get attacked by a coyote, but most dog breeds wouldn’t do well in a fight with a wild coyote.
Coyotes don’t target and attack dogs out of malice and they certainly don’t have any other weird motivations. It’s purely about survival and the need to find food for themselves and their young.
Coyotes Sometimes Attack to Defend Their Territory
It’s also notable that coyotes will attack to defend their territory. If coyotes are staking out and living in a certain area, then they will certainly attack any dogs that get too close.
This is why it is dangerous to allow your dog to wander when you live in a rural area that has coyotes. It’s possible that the dog could stumble into a situation where it will be attacked by a coyote.
Coyotes are going to be even more defensive when it comes to other animals being near their territory during mating season. You’ll want to keep a close eye on your dog starting in February and lasting all the way until August.
If you keep your dog leashed and don’t leave it unattended, then you’ll be far less likely to encounter problems like this. Just understand that a dog can get killed if it wanders too close to a coyote’s territory.
1 – Consider Fencing Your Yard in
If you’re worried about your dog getting attacked by coyotes, then you should take steps to protect your dog. Fencing in your yard is a great way to make it so that coyotes won’t be able to easily get in the yard.
Of course, fences aren’t going to provide complete protection from coyote attacks, but it’ll make it a lot less likely that coyotes will bother to try to get in the yard. A coyote might be able to climb a fence or dig underneath a fence, but you can make it hard for a coyote to do that by building the fence in a particular way.
It’s also smart to have a high enough fence that your dog won’t be able to be seen from the outside. This means that any nearby coyotes wouldn’t be able to see the dog, and that might keep the coyotes from choosing to try to target your dog.
Whenever you make something harder for a predator, it’s going to be more likely to go after something else. Building a fence is a very good idea and it might be the best thing that will keep your dog safe.
2 – Monitor Your Dog When it’s Outside
Those who have coyotes where they live should be more watchful of their dogs. When you take your dog outside, it might be smart to stay out there with it if you can.
Leaving your dog outdoors for long periods of time might not be a good idea. It could expose your dog to the threat of a coyote attack, and you’re not always going to be around if you leave your dog outside for large chunks of the day.
It might be best to only let your dog outside when necessary. Go outside with your dog and play with it a bit to let it get some exercise.
When you keep an eye on your dog, it’ll be easier to keep a close eye on potential threats. Coyotes will be less likely to approach when humans are nearby because wild animals know to have a healthy fear of humans.
If a coyote does attempt to attack your dog while you’re around, then you might be able to save the dog by taking action. You might be able to grab a weapon of some sort and fend off the attack before the dog gets seriously injured.
3 – Use Outdoor Lights
Coyotes tend to prefer to stay away from bright lights, and you can use this knowledge to your advantage. If you want to be able to let your dogs out at night safely, then you should install bright outdoor lights.
Place the lights in the area where your dog will be going outside to handle its business. Keep them on while the dog is outside since it should provide some level of protection.
It’s still going to be wise to keep an eye on the dog, but the lights really should help a lot. It’s good to have lights like this anyway for your own convenience.
Being able to see when it’s dark outside matters, and many rural areas don’t have many streetlights. Consider buying some good outdoor lights when you get the chance to do so.
4 – Keep Garbage Bins Sealed
Having open garbage bins could make it easier for local animals to come to your property and get food. Many types of animals will get into your trash bins if you don’t take precautions.
You likely already know that raccoons can be a nuisance when it comes to messing with your garbage. Coyotes will get into your garbage as well when they smell food, and this is why you should keep the garbage bins sealed.
Buy garbage bins that will be secure enough to keep animals out. You can even buy garbage bins that are good at keeping animals from smelling the garbage when everything is closed up.
5 – Don’t Leave Pet Food Outside
Leaving pet food outside is going to be a bad idea. Some people like to feed their dogs outside; and this is fine, but you need to put that food away.
If you leave pet food outdoors in bowls, then animals are going to be attracted to it. Coyotes might smell it and come by thinking that it’s a free snack.
Anything that attracts wild animals to the area will be a risk to your dog. You don’t want to give coyotes more reasons to pay attention to your property.
6 – Don’t Give Coyotes Places to Hide
You could try to eliminate spots on your property where coyotes would be able to hide and sneak up on your dogs. If you have a big property, then you might have wild bushes and underbrush areas that will make good hiding spots.
Keeping those spots properly maintained or eliminating those spots will make your property less appealing to coyotes. Coyotes do not want to be exposed when hunting for food and making your property less convenient for coyotes can make a difference.
Maintain your yard well so that you don’t leave little hiding spots for coyotes. Try not to fall behind on your yard work and things will be a bit safer.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.