Coyote alert!!!
 

I received the following e-mail from my local dog trainer today:

COYOTE ALERT!!!
Please watch your pets constantly while outside. A yorkie was taken last week from Khater Court. Owners could not catch the coyote.
Last night a small poodle, was believed to be taken from Dupont. Owner did not see the coyote, so if anyone sees a little light brown poodle, her name is Peanut. Both of these dogs live near the White Oak School.
I would advise that you do not allow your dogs or cats outside without a leash and carry some kind of protection while walking at night or in the morning. (pepper spray, baseball bat, etc.)
Please tell all of your friends and neighbors and stay alert.
I've heard that a single coyote may try to lure a larger animal and then the pack can take them down, so no matter what size pet you have, please be careful.

This scares me to death because this is all about 2 miles from my house. We have a fenced in yard- should I be keeping the dogs on a leash at all times? Or just at night? This really disturbs me, as does the thought of them living their lives stuck on a leash at all times. I guess I just wanted to remind everyone to be ever vigilant and to hug their babies close tonight...

How scary! Thanks for the reminder!

SCARY and sad. :(
I saw a coyote a few months ago.

It SCARED me because I just never thought they were really
around here that much. And this was in a really nice area and
very safe and "high class" neighborhood we were walking in.

Thank you for the reminder to be viligant.

We live in a rural area and we have to contend with coyotes, hawks and just recently I've seen a big fox.

If you google search "coyote downtown Chicago" you'll find more than one story in the past few years that involves a coyote wandering in the middle of the city! Even on State Street! :eek:

So, I guess the very scary reality is that it's not just the rural areas that need to be concerned anymore. The area where the two dogs I posted about is in a very nice neighborhood where I'm sure everyone felt safe. It's shocking that things like this happen. I'm certainly not going to trust my 6 foot privacy fence for protection... We never let the pups go out unattended, anyway, but this is still just too frightening.

Be careful, all. Coyotes can jump over a 6-8 ft fence without trying. And they are quick too

Thanks for sharing the warning. Our house has woods right behind us and I know there are coyotes in there. We are pretty much always on a leash unless we are out on the back patio with them.

Both my neighbors have Yorkies...one side is very careful, the other side lets their little Yorkie (about 6-7 lbs.) outside to go potty without them. They've trained the dog to go into the wooded area right by the woods. Scares me to death. They aren't worried about coyotes or hawks or anything. :confused:

Feeding time for animals of prey are sundown and on occasion sunup. When food is scarce they will hunt all night. We have coyote,hawks and owls here and I too live in the city. Our yard is fenced in and we try not to walk the dogs a sundown,when they first come out. There is always a person in the yard with the dogs,not that it would stop them if they were truely hungry.

So scary! I've heard of coyotes in our city taking cats. My dogs are not even allowed on the porch without supervision, day or night.

So scary! I've heard of coyotes in our city taking cats. My dogs are not even allowed on the porch without supervision, day or night.

I grew up in the north east thinking that coyotes only lived out west. Boy ways I wrong. I don't know why but the population seems to be getting more abundant. When there are a lot of them they have to go further to find food. I live in a wooded area outside of town. Coyotes have been seen on the golf course down the road from me in the day time. My Gracie only goes out on a leash so I'm not really concerned about her. I do take care of feral cats and we have lost a couple in the last couple of years. Between the coyotes, hawks and owls there are plenty of prey animals to watch out for.

If you have coyotes near you then you also have owls and hawks. I would only let my dog out in the yard if I was right there with it. It only takes one hungry coyote or bird to cause a tragedy. I have seen determined dogs climb fences. I would think a hungry coyote could easily climb a fence as well.

Yeah I've seen a hawk chasing around the pigeons around my house. I just seeded the yard with winter seed so there are a lot out there. Scares me to death because Jimmy looks like a tasty yummy treat.

Just last week a dear friend of mine had a coyote snatch her chihuahua right in front of her on her front steps. When these animals are hungry enough, they will take any risks. Between the coyotes and the dogs off leash, I'm afraid to walk Tallulah in public.

Do Not Take Your Eye's Off Them Outside !!!
 

OMG !!!
That is my biggest fear when I'm back home in IL. We have a 6 ft fence, but I also go out with them at night, We also have a bunch of Owl's you can hear them thru the fireplace. I do carry a broom ( no not to fly with it LOL !!! ) and a flashlight. I also check my whole yard I'm talking about 11,250 sq ft of land . All around the fence every few days , you will be surprise how many time I will find a hole under the fence that Miley and Max will fit under it. I have so many rabbits running around , I move there in 2000 and I have at least 5-8 generation of these rabbit they came with their baby and the baby come with their baby , You have to see it to believed it.
They will sit right outside on my deck and make noise , so Miley and Max will chase them all around the yard and I go nuts making sure they don't caught them. I will bring Miley and Max in the house and I have to close the blinds and keep them busy so they forget about the darn rabbit out
side. Yes by me a few puppy or small dog have gone missing, If you dont have a high fence you just can't leave your furkids out there alone no way. Here in Florida it's all these big birds, like eagle's.
Do not take your eye's off them when you go outside.
be safe !!!
Happy Thanksgiving !!!!!!:animal36
bark@ulater!!!!
manina,mileyandmax

Where I live we have these big Owls that constantly circle . Any predators are a direct threat to our precious little dogs. Thank you for the reminder.

Where I live we have these big Owls that constantly circle . Any predators are a direct threat to our precious little dogs. Thank you for the reminder.

We have it all. But the hawks concern me the most. They will fly right into your yard and they do not seem to care if you are right there or not. I have an 8 foot privacy fence and I know for a fact that a dog can get over it so whats to stop the wild preds. ? Just be very careful people.

Yeah, I am really considering one of these in my backyard, http://amzn.com/B00178U8VU , I just bought the house and I'm in Phoenix. Shade means the world here and so does my dog...win win.

Same here. We can actually hear the coyotes. We have witness hawks swooping down and taking baby chicks...

You are not far from me maybe 20 minutes West down I80 and I have always seen coyotes near me. To get an even better idea of where I live and the area which is not rural at all I'm right near Orland Square Mall. I have seen coyotes and hear them on a regular basis. They have run in front of my car at dusk and just the other day I saw one running through an open field about 10 houses from me. But most frightening I once saw a pack of three running through a populated neighborhood and they jumped a 4 ft fence and into a yard :eek:

During the day I will let my three out without much reservation. Coyotes are more active at dusk and into the night so as soon as the sun starts to set they are not allowed without me standing watch at the door. I have my flashlight and I watch their every move. They are not allowed to play just potty and back inside.

We live in what I call the back woods. Everynight I hear a pack of coyotes almost nightly! They hate the trains that comes through at all hours and raise such a fuss and some nights they are very close! We have a persimmon tree about 60 feet from the house and they loooove them, along with the deer and every other animal it seems! We have a den of foxes, hawks, owls, and our neighbors 2 great danes and weimerainers to watch out for too! One year I raised a small veggie garden and her Great Danes at over 30 watermelons! We trapped them and called animal control and each time the owner had to pay a fee to get them back. Now I don't see them in the yard anymore, but I never let my guard down and wear a head light at night and carry a pistol whenever I take my babies out at night. Plus daddy is always either with us or watching from the door to make sure. ;)

My DH had to scoop up Norman and kick a coyote away during a dusk walk a few weeks ago. The humane society here said it was best to not walk at dusk and dawn. They also recommended carrying an automatic umbrella to scare a coyote away. When one approaches you can point it at them and pop it open. It suddenly makes you look much larger and is a good deterrent! It is very scary!! Norman waits to go in the backyard until our larger dog goes out first - like a buddy system for dogs - lol. Even then I supervise.

Great Idea !!!!
 

Thank u for that great idea a automatic umbrella, that never came to mind !!!
awesome I do have 2 and will start taking them out with me.

bark@ulater!!!
manina,mileyandmax

I grew up in New Lenox and we used to go to Orland Mall all the time, so I know exactly where you're at. It's crazy that we have to worry about all this wildlife. I really wonder if we have just encroached on their territory so much that they now must enter into ours more and more to survive... We have a 6 ft privacy fence and my babies are never out unattended (hawks and owls), but it still freaks me out that a hungry coyote could be out prowling through the neighborhood.

Well, actually we are in their territory. More and more people are living outside of town and pushing the wildlife out of their areas. They have less food and so they go for things like dogs and cats and garbage that are not their regular prey.

Early AM and dusk are very dangerous time to be out walking a little dog. Owls are also very brave when they are hungry and will seem to swoop down from no where after a little dog on a leash. Coyotes also.