The Remarkable and Misunderstood Coyote.

As wildlife rehabbers we often are presented with interesting questions concerning wildlife. In the case of coyotes, it is commonly believed that coyotes will readily breed with domestic dogs, creating a hybrid called coydog.

While this can happen rarely, wild coyotes don’t choose to breed with dogs and if they do, it is likely due to deliberate human interference.

Since coyotes are monogamous, they would never mate permanently with a domestic dog over their own kind.

Coyotes are wonderful parents and share in the pup rearing duties. According to  Coyote Watch Canada, “it is not uncommon for older siblings from previous litters, aunts, or uncles to help with this task.”

In addition, coyotes are highly protective of their pups and extremely suspicious of dogs and will consider off-leash dogs a threat to their young.

This is another good reason to keep your dogs on leash all the time, so that coyote pups and other wildlife and their young can be protected from tragic encounters with your dogs.