Coydogs

Umm...people are still commenting on my posts? Oddly, the negative remarks seem to come mainly from people who take a cavalier attitude toward crossbreeds. Folks, I said specifically that I feel it's irresponsible to take in exotic animals as pets without knowing what they're all about, whether from experience or from proper research, and this includes their habits, any special needs, and so forth. If you're competent and capable of caring for such an animal, wonderful. Most people aren't. Most people, judging from what I've seen, aren't fit to own animals at all. If nothing else, take an animal you don't have any familiarity with to a veterinarian; it's a noble profession in my opinion, and I'd generally trust their judgement.

I don't approve of encouraging a casual attitude toward any kind of exotic and won't be persuaded on it. This is how I feel about any kind of pet, but it applies doubly for those we have no right to expect to behave like their domesticated relatives.

By the way, I have family from here in the South going back to before the Revolution, Clay, and I've rarely stepped out of my home state.

(((My dog has mostly German Shepards colors but many traits of a coyotee, fur, ears tail even his teeth are bigger and sharper then any german shepard pup anyone has seen. He howls like a coyotee does. He is extremly smart and well behaved. My vet didn't seem to think I was crazy when i told her what he was.)))

It sounds like you love him. I've heard of coyote dogs being a bit on the skittish side in comparison to other types of dog. Is this true in your case? Also, is there anything special your vet recommended you do for your pet? Any special meds or living arrangements or anything? I'd just like to know so I'd be able to tell as much to someone who needs the info.

Bill, It sounds like you are not a pet lover. I can tell you from experience that most vets know nothing about dealing with a pet that has wild blood in it. You have to go to a vet that has training in pet psychology. Even dog trainers don't know how to deal with them. Yes, coydogs tend to be skittish. They don't like strangers and tend to bond closely with their human. They expect the human to keep them safe. I don't have a problem with my coydog other than that I had some trouble understanding him until he was taken to the proper vet which meant travelling to another city and going to a University Clinic that specializes in animal behavior. Life is much different now that I know what is going on but he went through three vets that didn't have a clue. I couldn't ask for a better companion and he actually behaves better than my other dog who does not have the coy in her. However, they are a little more fearful than most dogs.

Thanks for pointing that out, MICK. I was mostly going on the assumption that the average veterinarian would be more likely to know what to do with a coydog than the average person, and I'd like to think that one would have the sense to direct a person who just came into the possession of a coydog to the appropriate specialist. Perhaps I'm just putting too much faith in them, but my main point was that letting one's veterinarian know that one hasn't had any experience with a particular type of animal would be at least ten times better than letting them go on the assumption that one's had experience with such animals and knows what to do. To be clear, I agree with you.

Anyway, be well.

I can assure you that Coy-Dogs are very real. I have owned two of them. We just had to put the oldest one down (cancer) at the ripe old age of 15 (human years). He was such a wonderful pet that I was always searching for another one of the same breed. He was half Coyote and half Chow. His mother was a pure bred Chow and his father was a Coyote. He had all the markings and fur of a coyote, as well as a Coyote's gate, but he had the purple tongue of the Chow. I've seen Coyote's in the wild and, aside from the size, they looked identical to my dog. My dog was a bit more muscular, probably because he was fed regularly and didn't have to hunt for food. He was wonderful with people as long as he knew them, but made a great guard dog as he was always wary of strangers. My wife got him in New Mexico, when she was driving tractor trailers for a living. He spent the first 3 years of his life with her on the road. He would sleep in the back while she was driving and sit in the passenger seat and guard the truck at night while she slept.

My second Chow-Coyote mix came from Las Vegas. His mother was a pet Coyote, and his father was a Chow. He looks nothing like a Coyote, possibly because the males tend to take the characteristics of the father (I don't know this for a fact, it's merely speculation.) He has more of a Chow type face and is black in color. His tongue is purple spotted. He doesn't have a viscious bone in his body. While he will bark at strangers, it's only to atract their attention because they are someone who hasn't had the good sense to pet him yet. I am currently in the market for another Coyote-Chow mix (male un-neutered) because the young one is somewhat lonely. He could use a playmate. If anyone knows where I might find such a dog, I would greatly appreciate any info you might have.

Michael: http://www.coydog.us/ - Only genuine coydog breeders I know.

~Seij

Michael,

I don't know where you can find that mix but I know where you can find a coy/sibe mix and they have many right now of all ages. Sundance Ranch in Oregon. Their dogs have wonderful temperaments.
I will definitely have one of theirs one day.
Mick

It is foolish to say that coydogs are an urban legend. There are many wild dogs that have crossed with cyotes in the wild in the CA mountains. I have a true coydog and my vet was the one to tell me about her. She started growing a second fuzzy tan/grey coat over her pitch black coat at 2 years old. She shows her cyote ways in her submisivness and spazness quite often. It offends my beloved dog to say she does not exsist. I am proud of her and what she is.

There's a great story in Of Wolves and Men about a scientist studying wolves who manages an interview with an old Eskimo. Anxious to impress the old guy, the scientists reels off his knowledge of wolves and at some points asks, "Do you find this to be true of wolves?" The old man replied, "Which wolf?" Many of the posting I've read refer to the behavior of hybreds as if it were a concrete and predictable thing. When we consider the great variety of behaviors among humans can we honestly say, "This and oly this is how humans behave." Certainly, we cannot. For example, I have trained many German Shepherds. As anyone who has trained animals will tell you, the personality of each animal is unique. Now a Lab is a lot more likely to chase a stick than a Huskie, but within these genetic tendancies there lies a universe of individual differences. And this is so with hybreds. I owned a high content wold hybred and certainly she was a hunter. She preferred a hole to a dog house and believed that if she froze when I caught her stealing a thawing fish of the counter that I would not be able to see her in the brush of our tile kitchen. But she was an individual. I will agree that people who know nothing of hybreds should not own them. However, there are millions of dog owners who should not have dogs. I have tried to train the pets of people who shouldn't be allowed to have house plants. We cannot prevent the ownership of animals by such people. There are no books or classes at the local junior college that will make you a good owner for a poodle, a pit bull or a hybred. You are a good owner when you can observe, care for and communicate with animals. There are animal people the way there are people people. It takes care, understanding and the willingness to interact with the animal. As the human in the relationship, of course, you must take the lead. And so it is with the owning of hybreds. There are no fast rules or formulas. It does take common sense. A hybred, for example, is likely to eat the cat he's chasing and male hybreds are quite often unable to curb the instinct to mark your couch. But the key to safely owning one- just as it is the key to safely owning a Rott- is that you are an intelligent, caring, adaptable human being. If you bring that to the table, you can do it. Myself, I don't think I'd do very well with Poodles.

Hi David,
I respect your opinion BUT
I think you misunderstand all of this. We are not saying don't own one. We are saying beware because you don't know what you will get with these dogs. Too many end up in rescue and too many are put down. I personally have two of them. I am a very caring owner and have had dogs for over 30 years. But I wasn't prepared for an aggressive dog, one that bites the other and generally makes life miserable for the other dog. And I am not the only one. I know at the very lest ten people who have these dogs and most of them have issues from chasing cars to biting their owners. I agree you need to have a strong alpha personality to have an aggresive dog, especially a large one but it isn't easy. And it is not always safe. I am thankful to still have mine since he bit someone and they didn't report it. But it has taken a lot of work and a lot of training to get through this. Still, life is very strained because you have to be on guard every minute. And the problem with these dogs is that you are more likely to get an aggressive one than you would with a lab or golden or poodle for that matter. I am not saying those dogs can't be trouble because I personnally know of a small child whose face was ripped wide open by a poodle. I think they are nasty little dogs yet I wouldn't tell someone not to buy one. We are just saying the percentage of AID's and Naid's that turn out to be aggressive is very high. And you need to be fully aware of what you are getting into before you take on the challenge. Respectfully, Mick

Actually, I've never known a pittbull to attack a human with any intention other than covering him with slobber, which they have in plenty. They're one of the friendlier breeds. Strangely, their playful nature has played a role in earning them their bad reputation. They tend to frequently engage in agonistic play with other dogs, but this isn't at all the same as viciousness or mean-spiritedness. To my knowledge, their worst quality is that they're complete clowns and don't know their own strength. And it really hurts when they step on your toes.

Chow chows, however, are a nightmare. They're mean, and they do it on purpose.

None of this is to be taken as a rule. Dogs differ in personality as much as people. Different breeds do have different tendencies, though, and one should be aware of them.

hiya. i was told my 9 pond dog is part coyote, and i must say i doubt it.
so i showed up here and elsewhere to check it all out.
good reading! thanks all!
however, i remain equally unconvinced that coydogs are a nonesuch due to the differing estrus periods [mating seasons] for the different species.
i say this scheduling difference implies an _incentive_ for the creation of coydogs.
what are coyotes gonna do all those months when their ladyfriends arent in the mood and worse smell wrong?
just a thought.
imput from people who know something much appreciated.
jay sheckley and her weird lil dog romeo

Coydogs do exist and as a matter of fact, I have one. But you can find out all you want to know if you visit the website of Sundance Ranch in Oregon. They breed a coy/sibe mix and you are correct, they breed once per year. Her dogs are lovely and they are real.
http://www.coydog.us

BTW, coydogs weigh about 45-55 pounds in most cases. Mine weighs 72, so it depends on what else they are mixed with.

"what are coyotes gonna do all those months when their ladyfriends arent in the mood and worse smell wrong?"

Go about living I suppose. Remember, the males can only breed once a year too.

~Seij

fair enough, Seij! Since yesterday I've looked at more more pix and I'm jollywell convinced despite opinions to the contrary that my 14 month old pet furbaby is in fact ::gasp!:: a genuine dog!
love jay and romeo

Actually, unless I recall incorrectly, a domestic male can breed at any time of year. I don't imagine a coydog would be likely to end up as someone's pet unless picked up as a "stray" and taken to be a nondescript mutt...which...wouldn't be entirely inaccurate.

mr mutz writes< I don't imagine a coydog would be likely to end up as someone's pet unless picked up as a "stray" and taken to be a nondescript mutt...which...wouldn't be entirely inaccurate.>>

my guy _did_ come from the shelter, was a stray found stumbling around rather well with one broken foot. nobody knew where he came from, which is likely common enough. he's said to be part chihuahua, which in coyote is pronounced "snack", no? the shelter refuses to speculate what else.

i was stopped in the street and told he's surely part coyote- but probly less than half.howzabout none?

the guy said a coydog probly mated with a chihuahua.

romeo _is_ pretty strange-looking. exotic. when i first saw him even though i wanted a dog so much i wasnt sure i wanted him. everyone else says he's cute but at first i felt put off in an odd way. i didnt take to his look at all. then they put him in my arms, and boy he liked it there! hate to say this but he sorta hypnotised me. :D the broken foot was the clincher.

romeo looks a LOT like a fox, he really has a somewhat coydog look pelt i admit. he hasnt got that cold expression. does that matter?

he may well be a Pomchi. his toes look normal to me but i havent accessed the online toe data yet. he is fast, with a bizarre gait. his forepaws happen to be 2-3 dogshoe sizes bigger than his back feet. he's either completely mellow or crazed, often somewhat devious. he burrows and hides things. he's _quiet_. the trainer says he's a "thinky" dog and therefore a good match for me.... hmmm...

ive looked at pictures and read all this. i really appreciate your input, rather feel we are undeserving of your expert attention.

yet continually people say, what IS that?

i really dont know what he is but i am hooked on him.
romeo doesnt care what you call him unless it's late for dinner.

he resembles a pygmy fox. [?]
he could be a dog!

thanks again,
jay and her weird lil animal romeo

i just looked at the coydogs mick sent me to. yes my guy romeo does have the face and body shape though not the husky size.

though very brown-eyed, he _does_ look like that, the snout the stance the smile even. thankyou!
this is fun.
jay, his coy mistress

-----

mr mutz writes< I don't imagine a coydog would be likely to end up as someone's pet unless picked up as a "stray" and taken to be a nondescript mutt...which...wouldn't be entirely inaccurate.>>

my guy _did_ come from the shelter, was a stray found stumbling around rather well with one broken foot. nobody knew where he came from, which is likely common enough. he's said to be part chihuahua, which in coyote is pronounced "snack", no? the shelter refuses to speculate what else.

i was stopped in the street and told he's surely part coyote- but probly less than half.howzabout none?

the guy said a coydog probly mated with a chihuahua.

romeo _is_ pretty strange-looking. exotic. when i first saw him even though i wanted a dog so much i wasnt sure i wanted him. everyone else says he's cute but at first i felt put off in an odd way. i didnt take to his look at all. then they put him in my arms, and boy he liked it there! hate to say this but he sorta hypnotised me. :D the broken foot was the clincher.

romeo looks a LOT like a fox, he really has a somewhat coydog look pelt i admit. he hasnt got that cold expression. does that matter?

he may well be a Pomchi. his toes look normal to me but i havent accessed the online toe data yet. he is fast, with a bizarre gait. his forepaws happen to be 2-3 dogshoe sizes bigger than his back feet. he's either completely mellow or crazed, often somewhat devious. he burrows and hides things. he's _quiet_. the trainer says he's a "thinky" dog and therefore a good match for me.... hmmm...

ive looked at pictures and read all this. i really appreciate your input, rather feel we are undeserving of your expert attention.

yet continually people say, what IS that?

i really dont know what he is but i am hooked on him.
romeo doesnt care what you call him unless it's late for dinner.

he resembles a pygmy fox. [?]
he could be a dog!

thanks again,
jay and her weird lil animal romeo

"Actually, unless I recall incorrectly, a domestic male can breed at any time of year"

Yes, that is correct. A domestic dog can breed any time of year, but both male and females of wild candids only breed once a year.

~Seij

I JUST learned about this coydog bread and was doing a little online research and came across this site. I got my dog, Chilly, about a year ago from a shelter. They said he was just picked up as a stray dog when he was a puppy and they guessed his mix as huskie/border collie. He looks IDENTICAL to a fox and is about the same size, except he has black and white fur. A person was over at our house during a party the other night(I'm an OSU college student) and she asked me if he was a Coydog. I had no idea what a coydog was, but she told me her friend had one that looked exactly like my little buddy Chilly. She also mentioned something about the way he walks, which is more of a trot, as a characteristic of a Coydog. I looked at pictures online and saw one that looks EXACTLY like my dog and claims it as a Coydog
Is there anyway of knowing if my dog is actually a Coydog. Who ever has one let me know if these would be characteristics along the line of a Coydog: looks exactly like a fox, large pointed ears, tail looks like those of the sundance huskies, larger and sharper teeth than dogs his size, unbelievably agile, can easily clear my futon when he jumps which is annoying when I try to catch him, trots or somewhat skips when he walks, very friendly or very submissive around some people though he loves biting my hand and our other dog, he is VERY attached to me. Also when I first got him he couldn't bark until about 7 months he always made more of a howling/whining noise and still does so when he wants something and especially when he sights other animals, mostly dogs. If anyone wants to give me their opinion or tell me how I could find out if he is a Coydog that'd be great, this coydog thing is pretty interesting.

Also I have no idea if this would mean anything but he has brown eyes, except on the very top there is a section of iris on either eye that is white with a little blue on the iris, I guess like a Huskie. It looks like he has two white spots right above his pupils.

Maybe send in a good photo to the breeder at
Sundance Ranch. She most probably would know..
But sometimes it's hard to tell in a photo.
Wouldn't hurt to ask.

You will have to post pics. The characteristics you describe could all be found in the various breeds of domestic dog. Though, it sounds as though your pup could very well be part berder collie as the shelter claims. They can look very much like a coyote or fox. Also, collies tend to trot and walk more like a wolf or coyote.

~Seij

Do you have a picture of your dog Chilly that you could email me? I can get you a better opinion if I see the dog. I know the owner of Sundance and she would surely know. I also have a coydog. They do walk a little differently but they tend to sway against you as they walk. Or if he is with my other dog he sways toward her. They seem to walk sideways because they are always brushing up against you. They tend to hide from strangers. They are usually shy.

There is one distinct characteristic that will tell you if have a coydog. Please write to me directly and email me a picture if you can. I have never heard it described in any of these websites.

My address is .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

To the UO student whose dog, Chilly, behaves and looks like a Coydog.

As far as I know there is no genetic test to determine whether your animal is a hybred. You could, however, contact a vet to see if such a test exists. But as someone who has owned hybreds and been around Coydogs, I'd say the behaviors indicate wome sort of mix. My wolf hybred, for example, didn't learn to bark until I got a dog who exhibited this very unwolf behavior. The yipping and yowling is very Coyote-like as well. On the other hand, Coyotes are not casual breeders so if Chilly is a hybred the chances are the breeding was engineered by a humans. Dogs that breed with Coyotes on their own tend to be wild and stay wild. At any rate, it sounds like you have a great animal.

I used to raise Dobermans.. we had litters of pups any month of the year.. for her to say dogs only whelp in the winter tells me she is full of crap. And if she can be that far off.. I seriously doubt her opinion on coydogs.

Donna. I don't recal anyone saying dogs whelp only once a year. COYOTES only welp once a year (as do all other wild candids that I know of) but DOMESTIC DOGS can whelp 1-2 times a year depending on the breed.

~Seij

*test*

I'm almost 100% sure my dog, Hoodoo, is a Coydog. I got her in Arizona (mother an Australian Sheperd, father unknown). She does have the look and markings, and her feet definitely say coyote. At 38 pounds she'a about the right size for one. Very intense amber eyes. Barking is more a "second language" to her, but she's done the yipping and "talking" since she was a pup. Timid around strangers. Very skittish, quick to bolt, but extremely loyal to me -- if she's waiting outside and I'm in a store, she won't take her eyes off me, and potential girlfriends (mine) have to meet her approval first. I've had her for 11 years now, and she's quite spoiled. I'd say she's much harder to handle and raise than your average pooch, but she's a great dog.

We have 6 coypups. Their mother is pure coyoty, and their father is catahoula cur dog. we have pictures of the mother nursing the pups. We have 2 we are willing to sell. To see a picture click the link below.
http://www.usfreeads.com/513627-cls.html

Or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more pictures!

OK, I've read thru this entire post, and it seems to me that really, for the average American consumer, a coyote-cross of ANYTHING is a so-so deal...you MAY end up with something good, or you may end up with Wyle E. Coyote-Dog. (He likes to chase chikens but prairie fowl are too swift).I have kids,and knowing better than to leave them with an unsuperviesed canis familiaris, I can hardly say that i would own a coy-dog (maybe,perhaps sans children)!! Anyway, I love Canis, and honestly, who can dispute that wild ones aren't best left wild...after all, there are so many domestic canis that lend themselves so freely to genetic mainuplation, why seek the wild counterpart? Just for looks and reputation? Who among us has any reccollection of the coyote being anything but a trickster? Tho there may be some individuals who are great pets, most of these crosses will stradle a road few coyotes care to traverse and too wary of humans to bond. What an existance! Really, if you want a dog that mimicks a wolf or something, go for a malamute, sibe or german shep. Seriously....the best family pets are DOGS....for a very good reason. Coyotes are FERAL...beautiful and wild. I'm sure that they can and DO mate with dogs....but, this is not optimal!! Geeze, there are over 150 DOG breeds to choose from...if you can't find one that fits, don't think that a wild animal will be any easier. In my state, you have to obtain a license to house native wildlife. I don't know if that includes crosses, but knowing my @sshole neighbor, I wouldn't even try. He calls zoning on me at the drop of a hat. I don't believe a coyote-dog is a choice I would reccomend to any one....

if i am correct this must be real coydogs are real. :exclaim:

Coydogs are definitely real. They are usually mixed with siberian huskys. They make great pets but usually bond to one family member and stick by them no matter what. They are very shy with strangers. Coyotes are not an animal that attacks a human. They are shy. They tend to run from the unknown. But a coydog can be a wonderful pet. I have one.

...just wanted to throw my 2 cents in. I was born in Northern British Columbia. My father went to Notre Dame, and had friends that gave him (in 1966) a "lab experiment"...a German german shepard/coyote mix...her name was Maya...and she was the best dog in the world. I still miss her and I'm forty years old!

I live in the southwest and we get all sorts of coyote crossbreeds here. My grandparents had a really weird one. It was a chihuahua/coyote mix. Either one brave ratdog or one desperate coyote. Either way Buck was very loyal and put up with a lot. One of the few cases where breeding a domesticated animal with a wild one usually gets a very mild mannered pet. Since coyotes are more scavengers than pack hunters it makes a difference rather than with canines such as wolf crossbreeds.

hey how much did this chi-yote weigh? how big??

Buck was between 6 and 7 lbs and roughly 14 inches at the shoulder.

Too bad you can't post pics here like some forums.
Would love to see what Buck looked like.

it makes me sick to hear some of the people in here that have never owned a coydog or wolfdog trying to say they make horrible pets lol nothing makes a hoorible pet if you reasearch them and make sure there good for you and as long as you socialize them right. i know a 90 sum percent wolfdog that is very friendly and outgoing

Your absolutetly right. I had a Coyote-Chow mix that was a great companion. I now own another dog of the same mix. He's even friendlier than the first one. They aren't related. One came from New Mexico, and the other one hails from Las Vegas. The first one lived to the ripe old age of 15, and the one I have now is about 3. The first dog truly looked like a Coyote, but with a slightly shorter snout. After seeing Coyotes in the wild I realized his gate was also identical to that of a Coyote. He was sired by a wild Coyote and his mother was pure bread Chow. The second one looks nothing like a Coyote. His head is more Chow shaped and he is mostly black with some dark brown markings. His mother was a tame Coyote and his father was a Chow. While neither of these dogs resembled each other at all, they both are/were extremely loyal with and endless supply of unconditional love.

I have read through all of the posts. Very interesting.

Our family has a dog we inherited from a friend when she moved (she had adopted her from a local shelter). She's about 6 years old and we've had her for about 4 years. When we first got her it took about 6 weeks (and the help of another dog leading the way) for us to be able to let her out to go to the bathroom and for her to actually be comfortable enough to come back inside. Several times she was able to jump our fence and escape, luckily, she would end up jumping back into our backyard because we could have never caught her.

She wouldn't even let us touch her at first. It took a long time to develop trust with her, but now I don't think we could get rid of her if we tried. It's been a long standing joke of ours that she's so skittish. She looks like a coyote (except for the purple tongue which screams chow)she is about 21 inches at the shoulder and weighs about 30 lbs. I think she is really intelligent, although sometimes it's hard to prove because she's so scared of things, i.e. I think she would be great at frisbee catching because she's so fast and can jump, but she's afraid of the darn frisbee (so my husband thinks she's really dumb)! She only learned to bark when around our other dog and she has a high pitched bark. She has a bouncy little trot when she walks and though I haven't taken her out to see what her tracks look like when she runs, she does have that "frown" on the pads of his paws that another person referred to.

We've had an ongoing conversation and search with friends and family who always try to guess what kind of dog she is. After reading these posts, I'm pretty sure that she's at least a little bit coyote. Are there any more defining characteristics that I should look for?

Terre, Yes there is. Most dogs have a spot on their back that stands up when they are upset or frightened. Coydogs have a strip that goes down their entire back from neck to tail. It stands up and may be a little different color, sometimes darker.

Thanks Joey....

I'll definitely look, problem is, after 4 years I've never seen her get upset and "bristle up" like you would most normal dogs. She's literally afraid of everything - tail down between her legs with only the little black tip sticking out! The only time I've ever seen her get upset is with our neighbor's dog (100 lb, 6 month old boxer). He wanted to play so badly and was giving her a slobber bath that she wasn't too keen on. That was the only time I have seen her snarl or stick up for herself at all. She still had tail between legs (very different from most dogs showing aggression) and didn't bristle.

I will keep an eye out for this in the future, though. My husband think's I'm nuts for thinking she's coydog because of her "fear" issues!

" Most dogs have a spot on their back that stands up when
they are upset or frightened. Coydogs have a strip that goes down their
entire back from neck to tail. "

This statement is very misleading. I have seen pure dogs that when upset, raise the hairline along their entire back. MOST of the time, an upset dog only raises the fur on its shoulders, but not always. If the dog is upset enough the fur along its entire back raises.

There is no one trait that can determine if a dog is part coyote. Basic coyote traits can be shyness, no "doggy barking," a small, slimline figure, and agouti fur, but these traits can all be found in dogs as well. A picture would help us out the best. There are several breeds of dog, such as the border colloe or kelpie, that have much more "coyotish-like" traits than other dogs, and mixes of these dogs can sometimes be mistaken for coydogs.

~Seij

Terre,

Sorry if my comment was misleading. To clarify, the stripe that stands up on most dogs when they bristle or get upset, is usually mostly around the neckline. On a coydog, that stripe goes from neck to tail and stands above the rest of his/her hair all the time, not just when they get upset.
I have a male coydog and that stripe stands out at all times and it is very noticeable on photos of him. Not all dogs have that.

Joey

Hi, I have my second coyote/dog cross. The first one was without a doubt a coyote cross since he had the teeth of a coyote. He was the offspring of a pack of dogs that lived on 2nd Mesa in Hopiland. My vet was astounded when he looked at his teeth and refused to vet him. He lived a long life with me and later with a ranching couple where he took fantastic, loving care of their three year old daughter.
Now, I have what I'm just certain is my second coyote cross. He looks exactly like the picture at the top of this article except that his ears are more floppy. He yipps at me in the morning to wake me up and can leap more than five feet into the air from a sitting position. Oddly and sadly enough, tonight when I took him to the local doggie park, the dogs there seemed to know something was different about him and though normally docile and friendly, they ganged up on him and began to attack him. Weird. I would be very happy to have him tested for this biologist's study if she is willing to pay for it.
Sincerely, Simone Ellis

Coydogs are not urban legends. I have a puppy that is 7 months old and she is half coyote half lab. She has many traits of a coyote like her snout, teeth, paws, build and tail. Although, her fur color is weird. It's snow white. Which I believe is rare in labs and coyotes.

hi all-- Simone and Hopi here (posted just one above this one) this is really an interesting discussion. I'd say that we've pretty much clarified that coyotes and domestic dogs do indeed have litters. I agree that a picture gallery would be cool. Maybe we should set up a Yahoo group site. Anyone else interested? Hopi is doing great, loves people, dogs, cats (though very curious) and is very chill for a 11 mo. puppy. He will soon not have to be on leash at all-- which I think is the number one thing one has to try to achieve with hybrid dogs. Give them as much training as you can so that then they can be free. My first coyote was off leash within a month and never once ran away. Hopi doesn't quite know enough about traffic to let him run, but he's close. I have a question: how much do your coyote dogs weigh? Hopi is 22 lbs. (oh and as far as being trustworth, he's fantastic with my neighbor's two year old who swings at him from time to time and pulls his hair if we aren't watching-- he plays with another neighbor (20 yr old) who likes to rough-house and Hopi never ever bites down even if he uses his mouth in play. By the way, I encourage very little of that kind of play of course. I would do the same for any breed of dog.
all the best, animal lovers
simone ellis

Oh trust me. Coyote-dogs DO exist. They're just rare because of breeding times. I have pictures of my coyote-dog in my gallery at deviantart.

Coydogs are very real and not all that rare. There are 2 that live in the wilds behind me: one is crossed with an Australian Shepherd and the other with a Rottweiler. Both owners of these dogs were disturbingly irresponsible letting their uncut males run loose all the time. Both coydogs have bob tails and their progeny have shorter than average tails. Both coydogs are much larger than the average coyote which is quite small. It's easy to spot the difference when the darn critters are in your yard looking for easy pickin's!!!