Picture this hair-raising scene: it's dusk, you're out on a stroll with your dog, when SUDDENLY your pup slams to a halt. Her ears snap upright, her eyes boring into something far down the street. You whip your head around to follow her gaze — and your heart drops. Staring right back at you stands a lean, famished-looking coyote, and your instincts scream danger.
Brace yourself: run-ins with coyotes have officially become America's most frequent brush with a big, wild animal.
Dan Flores, author of the 2016 book "Coyote America," calls encounters with coyotes our "most common large-wildlife experience." But as that wild canine returns your stare — oddly familiar yet utterly alien — pure awe and terror collide in your chest. Is it going to spring at your dog? WHY is a coyote lurking in your city or suburb? And what on earth should you do the second you spot one? Read on — your pup's safety may depend on it.
the loyal century — This cunning creature has prowled North America for millions of years — and it's been driving us to spin stories the entire time. Long before highways and strip malls, the coyote haunted countless Native American folktales as the ultimate trickster and shapeshifter, earning the godlike nickname "Old Man Coyote." The Navajo, Pawnee, Dineh, Ute, Blackfoot and Aztec peoples all wove it into their myths — sometimes the Creator's loyal sidekick, sometimes the grim trickster who first brought death into the world.
Early written records from Europeans in North America often confused wolves and coyotes, dubbing coyotes “prairie wolves.” A report from 1750 describes “smaller” and “less daring” wolves than the ones in Europe, according toMammals of Illinoisby Donald Hoffmeister. By the 1800’s, government bounties were being offered for wolf and coyote scalps. Mark Twain famously epitomized the negative reputation of coyotes which had settled in the collective consciousness of Anglo-America in his 1872 book,Roughing It. He describes the coyote as “spiritless and cowardly,” an animal that even the “meanest creature despise[s].”
Surprise: humans and coyotes are far more alike than you'd ever guess.
But hear this: humans and coyotes have way more in common than you might imagine. Like us, coyotes have roamed and spread across this continent for thousands of years. Centuries back, they stuck almost entirely to the open plains of western North America. Today, all 20 subspecies of coyote range across North and Central America — from Northern Alaska all the way down to Atlantic Canada and America's Eastern seaboard. And in 2013, for the very first time, coyotes were even spotted at the border of South America, crossing the Panama Canal.
In the 20th century, hatred of coyotes exploded into all-out war — ranchers, hunters and government agencies ganged up in a massive extermination campaign. Between 1947 and 1956, a mind-blowing 6.5 million coyotes were wiped out across the American West, a bloodbath Dan Flores chronicles in "Coyote America." Even today, an estimated 500,000 coyotes are still killed by humans every single year.
the loyal century — Their jaw-dropping adaptability is exactly why these crafty canines now feel just as at home prowling our concrete jungles as they do roaming a quiet rural prairie.
So how on earth has this scrappy canine survived — even thrived — through relentless human attacks on its turf and numbers? For one, when wolves and cougars started vanishing, the coyote faced far less competition for food and space. It's a loner or a pack player, equally happy going solo or teaming up. Unlike forest-loving predators, it craves wide-open country. And unlike strictly carnivorous wolves, the coyote is an omnivore that will scarf down just about anything — rodents, small mammals, deer, fruit, veggies, even garbage. Its litter sizes even flex with local populations: the fewer coyotes around, the more pups in a litter. That remarkable flexibility is the secret to how coyotes now prowl our city streets as comfortably as they roam the open prairie.
As cities ballooned over the past century, the coyote's territory exploded right along with them. Today you'll find these bold survivors anywhere from the deep wilderness to leafy suburbs to giant metropolises like Los Angeles and Manhattan. And the urban coyote is nothing new — their bones regularly turn up at archaeological digs of pre-colonial Mesoamerican cities.
Still think the city coyote is a new threat? Their bones are routinely dug up at archaeological sites of pre-colonial Mesoamerican cities — they've been urban dwellers for ages.
Ever wonder just how closely that coyote slinking down your alley resembles the beloved mutt snuggled at the foot of your bed? Dogs and coyotes actually share the same genus, Canis (which also includes wolves). Every species in this family is deeply related — meaning they can, in theory, interbreed.
the loyal century — Get this: coyotes and domestic dogs have actually mated, producing a wild hybrid known as a coydog or dogote.
Because dogs (Canis familiaris) are the domesticated descendants of an extinct wolf population, they're actually more closely tied to grey wolves (Canis lupus) than to coyotes (Canis latrans). That said, coyotes and domestic dogs HAVE been known to hook up, spawning a hybrid called a coydog or dogote! That's exactly why the BCSPCA stresses the importance of spaying and neutering your dogs — it keeps risky dog-coyote run-ins to a minimum. And make no mistake: despite being family to our beloved pets, coyotes are territorial and can turn aggressive, though they generally keep their distance from humans and dogs.
Warning: even though coyotes are kin to our beloved pets, they're territorial and can get aggressive — though they usually steer clear of humans and dogs.
Obviously, the biggest difference separating coyotes from dogs is that humans tamed dogs over thousands of years to be our loyal companions and helpers — while coyotes evolved completely free in the wild.
Dogs come in an endless riot of colours, shapes, sizes and temperaments. Coyotes, by contrast, look far more uniform — they tip the scales at around 25-42 pounds, sport piercing yellow-gold eyes and coats of sable, light grey, red or fulvous, all flecked with black and white. Their exact shade and stature shift depending on where they call home.
the loyal century — As captivating as our wild neighbours' history is, you still need to know what to do when you — and your beloved dog — cross paths with one. The good news from the BCSPCA: coyotes usually couldn't care less about engaging with humans.
We can help prevent conflicts by respecting their space and being responsible pet owners. Coyotes’ role in our ecosystem as predators of small mammals can present dangers for cats and small dogs if they are left unsupervised out of doors, especially during the spring and summer months when coyotes mate and rear pups.
Coyotes remain deeply misunderstood to this day. They're social, family-driven and endlessly adaptable survivors. That infamous scare-tale — that "coyotes bait dogs into their packs to attack them" — is pure fiction that's wrecked their reputation. The non-profit Coyote Watch Canada sets the record straight: coyotes do NOT lure or bait other animals. Usually, a roaming dog simply follows a coyote on its own. Trouble only flares when the spooked coyote bolts back to its pack for safety, and the pack reacts aggressively to the outside threat. Bottom line: smart, responsible pet ownership is what truly keeps the peace.
The real danger moment: a coyote sprints back to its pack for safety — and that's when things can turn violent.
According to the Cook County Urban Coyote Research Project, if a coyote is already behaving typically by avoiding humans and pets, do not seek out opportunities to haze or otherwise aggravate the animal. Embracing communal respect is key. However, if you find yourself confronted with a coyote, there are steps you can take to keep yourself and your pets safe.
the loyal century — Absolutely yes — coyotes and dogs can mate and produce fertile offspring called coydogs, thanks to their very close genetic ties and matching reproductive cycles. It's entirely possible, though it doesn't happen all that often.
If the last century taught us anything, it's this: the coyote is an unstoppable survivor — this wild neighbour is here for the long haul. The smartest roadmap to peaceful coexistence is simple: educate yourself, keep your guard up, and always respect their space.