Found a coyote, I think

[DABSGT]

Just sat down and before I could sign in my wife asked "what's Sandy up to?"

John you have a loyal following. Look for updates every day. Just wondering if you tried taking the other dogs out with her at night and if it made any difference.

David

 

[Raspy]

We've been looking at Sandy's smarts, trying to be consistent and non threatening with her in order to connect the best we can and see who she is without her being afraid.

At one month old she knew the word "eat" and would respond to "be nice" by calming down. She would climb the steps and knew to duck under the door. She would go up and wait, in a ducked down posture, for us to swing the door open. Shortly later she knew "go home" and would run back to the house. And "up" would make her climb up onto the couch.

It's hard to tell what she knows and what she doesn't, compared to what she wants to do. She is not motivated to please us, but she does want to greet us. She is stubborn in continuing to do what she is told not to.

Last night she would not stop chewing on some of my papers that were within reach. Completely ignoring me. I'd pull her away and say no, I'd tap her nose and say no. Over and over. Finally I swatted her nose with a rolled up magazine right when she was reaching for the paper. It startled her enough to stop. But, of course she wanted something to chew. I gave her an old sock and she settled right down and was satisfied with it

Outside, she won't really come when called, but she will come for a treat. Yesterday afternoon I started rattling the treat can and today she knew to come when she heard it.

At about four weeks we noted that she was becoming house broken. Not perfect, but never made a mess in her bed, ever. Now she wakes up and waits for us to take her out. She can hold it for a long time if needed and then goes immediately when taken out. She will run and play outside, but return to the same spot to go.

She can ride in the car for hours without a problem and never gets car sick. We estimate she has ridden over 2,000 miles in the car all together. Never sick and never a mess. Some bed politics are always in play in the car. Bei Bei gets fed up with the crowding and makes her move occasionally with a sharp snap. These trips usually are about 260-280 miles long and last for about 5-6 hours. Sometimes they include stops for shopping or visits. One place we go she knows well already and settles right in when we get there. It's not too easy to stop and let her out while traveling because she takes a while to settle down enough to go.

It's very clear that she is good natured and tolerant. If not, riding in the car could be a big problem. Sometimes she gets testy, but a firm "be nice" with a pointed finger usually settles her down. If she starts squirming, Liye might hold her for a while and she loves that. And remember, each trip includes the three dogs and a cat. We have even done it in my truck with all of us in the cab!

So, in conclusion so far, she kind of knows the plan during outings, can be told to be nice if she is wanting to playbite. Loves to be outside on her own and will come if called with a treat. She seems very self assured, or just at home with herself and not looking for a master. She is who she is. Very natural. Very healthy and strong. Perfectly adapted to this terrain and adaptable.

Most importantly, she never freaks out and goes wild with fear. Hard to control sometimes, yes, but never an outright panic. I get the impression from her close communications with me, mainly through mouth actions, that she is always aware of her situation. The kind of communications I mean are tongue through the lips, gentle biting, wolf kisses, exposing her belly, etc. But even when scared or mad, she only bites hard enough to give a message. Always in control of herself. Mainly just communication. Not out of control rage or fear.

As was suggested to me I've now decided to not allow her to mouth me anymore. It's one of her favorite ways to interact, but probably not a good idea overall. As I sit here now, she just woke up. I clicked and she looked over. I invited her to visit and she came right over to see me. Her head bows down between her legs and I scratch her ears and shoulder. Completely gentle. Now it's time to go out and do a bit more exploring before it gets too late.

She is not as calm as our other dogs, but they are much older. She is more likely to bite than the domestic dogs I've had, but it's not a shredding kind of serious threat, so much as a protest. I'm not afraid to handle her unless she is in the worst of the worst moods, but soon that passes or we come to an understanding.

She has no interest at all in escaping. None. And if she balks at coming in after being out for a bit, I just leave her tied up and come in without her. Sometimes she balks at going out in the same way. Five minutes later I go out and she trots right in like it was her idea. Stubborn? Maybe. Or cautious. Either one could illicit the same response. But being left behind is worse.

Beyond all of her behaviors I just look at her as a little animal that is completely natural. No human breeding intervention. No history with humans in her past ancestry that I know of. Just a natural dog perfectly adapted to the wild country she lives in. That is physically, not mentally, as we have intervened seriously. But the perfection of her design, size, color and abilities is something to marvel at.

Like any dog I've known, she is right out there in all she does and feels. She's completely secure here with her pack and will sleep soundly in the middle of the living room with all of us here. The only tricky thing I've seen her do is try to get a toy from Bei Bei. She'll try different tactics to get up close without being noticed or without being suspected. Circling slowly and quietly, rolling around and working her way closer while looking like she is playing, avoiding eye contact. Tricky stuff that is so funny. Trying to trick another dog.

All of this at seven weeks old. About the age many of us get domestic dogs and begin our journey with them. We started with her at about two days old.

It's easy to see why she is so enduring. So much personality and so much to show us. I will never have another chance to be in this situation again and it is so interesting. We've established a bond of loyalty and trust that we both feel. Yet, danger lurks right outside in the form of hunters, laws, other animals, animal control. We will keep her from endangering other people or pets. So we seek advice and help in finding the best next chapter for her. A future that doesn't include death just for the sake of "public safety" or sport. But our quest must be done quietly because of all the dangers I've mentioned. And, in the meantime, we learn and have fun.

So now the conversation returns to "what next?". Good question. I'll contemplate it some more as she sleeps here at my feet and as I let her out again later this afternoon.

 

[Raspy]

A few more pix of Sandy.

 

[Raspy]

Just sat down and before I could sign in my wife asked "what's Sandy up to?"

John you have a loyal following. Look for updates every day. Just wondering if you tried taking the other dogs out with her at night and if it made any difference.

David

David,

Thanks for the nice comment.

We do take her out at night with the other dogs, but not to walk as she doesn't do the leash well yet. Also, we don't let her loose at night because that's when the other coyotes are out and we can't see her.

She doesn't like to be out by herself and we use that to motivate her to come in on the leash without a struggle.


John

 

[RandyBell]

John I think you and your wife are doing excellent with Sandy.
She progressing beautifly, you can see that she doesn't want to be away from Bei Bei, which is a good thing as she will get a better handle on some things.
There is always learning on both sides, our female wolf is 8yrs and the male is4yrs old. She started slowing down around 4 or 5 and I can aready see him calming down some now. He still is ready to go outside and run around, but comes in and takes a nap more often. Sandy showing her belly is a sign of submission and I don't believe you will have as much trouble out of her with dominance issues with her being a female. Our female's biggest issue was with house breaking, I don't believe it was the idea of going outside, ( which she did and did her business) as much as a scent thing because she would come in and squat in front of my wife. they fought like that for a few days before she learned that wasn't acceptable. You can imagine how fun it was while that was going on! The boy is more bullheaded, when he comes for loving, you best get it because he isn't affectionet all the time.
But I think that you guys are really handling it well.
Do you use the wire crates for the dogs? We do for ours, most times the door is open and they just use them as their cave. Shadow wants nothing but he bowl in hers and Weasel's well just think about a teenages room, I don't know how he finds room to sleep in there.

Have fun and enjoy the time with her

Randy

 

[DABSGT]

John,

Sandy is doing lots of puppy things it sounds like. I would recommend not hitting her on the nose this can lead to an accidental bite if someone attempts to pet her. You did the right thing taking the paper away and giving her some thing else. I would suggest a nylabone or a rugged chew toy. The biting doesn't sound like it is aggressive but puppy play. Dogs as puppy's explore with there mouth same as a child does. It is your responsibility to keep things away from her that you don't want damaged even your fingers.

At only 7 weeks old she is a puppy. Most dogs don't mature until 2years, she is doing well just testing you be firm and consistent with both reprimand and praise use the neck shake as mother would and when you reprimand follow by ignoring for a short time. Still very early to shou willingness to please..

By the way when I was a kid we had a pet fox. She was a wild pup that my dad found looked abandoned only a few days to wweek old. It was fed with a baby bottle ang grew to a juice pet until an accidental death. My dad treated her like a puppy and she did well. Just because Sandy was born wild don't give up.

 

[BMod]

Putting this story back on page one. I love reading about your adventures. I have seven dogs of my own, every day is an adventure here...

 

[Raspy]

Sandy has now been able to roam free, during the day, for about a week. It's been a complete success! At first she came romping by every few minutes and was almost always in view. But lately she is gone for quite a while and even calling her isn't very effective. Once in a while I will call as I'm looking around and all of a sudden I see a pair of ears sticking up in the bushes as she watches me. I'm hoping her territory doesn't keep expanding to where she gets herself in trouble.

If I go out looking for her I look around the house within 100 feet or so. Soon I might see her moving about and it reminds me of a cat. She knows I'm there, but sees little need in coming to me. She might, but it's not reliable.

Now we reward her for coming back to the porch and give her a treat. Each time we do we rattle the can. So we tried rattling the treat can to call her and it works great. She is very likely to show up but usually looks very sleepy. We discovered that she has set up a den under our container. She dug out an entrance between the container and some wire fencing that was leaning there. A nice secure spot that is out of the sun. We also noticed that she likes being under one of the trees instead of out in the sun. So, she is spending her time, during the day, sleeping in her den, in the cool shade.

Interesting that sometimes she wants to be with her pack and sometimes she is happy to sleep in her new den, that she made.

She has also begun eating bugs and chasing lizards. So I'm going to try and teach her to hunt and see if I can help her to become more self sufficient in her natural environment.

Since we can't find a permanent home where she can be properly cared for and safe, we are doing the best we can. She seems happier than ever. It is becoming more clear that consistency and stability of the pack and her home, is very important to her. When things are in order she is very happy and relaxed. If we take her to go visit friends for the evening, she can become difficult until we get back home. Just being able to pee in the same place and sleep in the same place seems like the issue for her. We'd like to be able to leave her and go out for the entire day or even all night, but we can't because she can't stay in and she can't stay out.

I'm currently away for a few days but will post more pictures when I get home. She is growing like a weed and we see changes every day!

 

[MotorSeven]

I think you made a good call. At least this way she has a chance to assimilate. She may live in both worlds forever, or may go off on her own. At least she has a choice...good or bad(in us readers opinions) it is what it is.

 

[kf4uda]

John,

If you are going to let her roam, I would suggest putting a "hunter's safety orange" collar on her.

 

[dusty74]

"orange collar" come on she is a wild animal...... she will move between her tammed family and wild world and some day she may bring her pups for a visit. She will seek a mate, she will have a family... Yes you are her alpha tammed family but you are not her wild alpha and she will assert her dominannce and seek a mate...... and if you folks care for her you will be glad when she comes back less and less....

 

[kf4uda]

"orange collar" come on she is a wild animal...... she will move between her tammed family and wild world and some day she may bring her pups for a visit. She will seek a mate, she will have a family... Yes you are her alpha tammed family but you are not her wild alpha and she will assert her dominannce and seek a mate...... and if you folks care for her you will be glad when she comes back less and less....

The only reason I would suggest the orange collar is to be fair to the coyote. She has had at least some of her natural fear of humans removed or reduced. If she approaches other humans the way she does John and his family there is a pretty good chance of her being shot. If a coyote were approaching me I would naturally assume something was wrong with it such as rabies or something. If it had a collar on I would know it has had some human interaction before and perhaps re-evaluate my next move. I am not a particular fan of coyotes but I do believe everything deserves a fair chance. I certainly agree that it would be best if she can adapt back into the wild.

 

[Raspy]

I agree that it would be best for Sandy to adapt to a wild life. That is the best of all options.

However, that isn't going to happen simply by letting her go. And we are not preventing her form going. She is not equipped to "go" and survive. That is the the very problem that we are dealing with here. She has not been trained by her mother to hunt and survive, so she most likely will be bird feed before long. She will not learn the ropes by us simply refusing her food or shelter. In the meantime, as a pup, she is taking control of her life to the degree she can imagine. She is moving out and setting up her own den, getting the feel of being alive in a big world, seeing who else is out there and how to interact.

The problem is that so many people think the answer to anything they don't understand is to shoot it, or report it to authorities, or spread fear, or butt into business that has nothing to do with them. Sandy is feared by people that have no rational basis for their fear about her in particular. So, a collar is at least some identity that "might" save her from simply being used as a target by somebody looking for something to shoot. I'm only willing to shoot real threats, but that's not always the case with others.

The problem with a collar, as I see it, is that if she returns to the wild with one on it will strangle her eventually. So I've thought of spray painting one on that would last long enough for her to assimilate and then wear off. Someone might see it and hesitate before shooting as they wondered if she was a regular dog or something. Eventually she would disappear into the wild and be "gone".

Recent developments are that my neighbor has asked a vet she knows what to do about rabies vaccine for Sandy. The vet was clear that it was illegal for her to treat a coyote. The vet also recommended I call the animal control people for advice. What?! That sounds like a setup.

My other neighbor is telling her friends that I should get rid of Sandy now. So she is also a problem waiting to happen.

This will eventually come to a head and be over. Hopefully it will be a good ending and not some animal control officer throwing a net over her and gassing her in a box somewhere. Even that would probably be better than her being shot. Either ending would be a heartbreaker for us. And the reason it would be a heartbreaker, is that we know her better than anyone and we not only are not afraid of her but we relate to her as a friend. We trust her, we are fascinated by her and she trusts us. Simple as that.

Some folks are genuinely curious and some are knee jerk scared. One will hold Sandy and cherish her, the other will recoil and stay way back. Sandy simply is Sandy. Some are immediately scared of a little puppy, and some want to pet her and talk to her. No one has been threatened or hurt. No one has seen anything that a normal dog wouldn't do. Here's the bottom line: Some are curious and some are reactionary. Some wonder at the natural world that surrounds us and some hide in fear of it.

We are a stable, trusted and sensible couple that are curious about our surroundings. Neighbors look to us for support, advice and friendship. We value life and the wildlife around us. In fact, we chose this place, in part, because of all of it's natural wonder and wildlife. We have other dogs and love them. We are not stupid enough to take chances with the mountain lions, bears and rattlesnakes that also live near us. I am always armed when I go out into the open lands, which I do a lot. In fact, I spend a great deal of my time exploring the mountains around us. I'm not a hunter, but I will protect my family and myself if needed, and I'm prepared to do so.

All of this factors into this whole situation. Believe me, if Sandy walked away tomorrow and into a life in the wild where she could take care of herself, I would be overjoyed. A beautiful, strong, healthy, smart and very self aware little neighbor would be realizing her true potential and living the life she was designed for. Good. Excellent. Beautiful.

I saved her from certain death and gave her, at the last minute before she froze to death, at least a chance of life. She brought information from the wild about herself and her world that is tremendously touching, beautiful and fun. Now it's controversy, laws, fear driven advice, gossip, and threats. All around a little puppy. It's disgusting.

And before some of you naysayers jump in with all the "what ifs", I want to assure you that I'm not saying all coyotes are fine and that none of them are dangerous. I'm not saying they don't kill valued farm animals and that they don't carry disease. I'm not saying they should be blindly accepted under all circumstances. Not at all. But, I am saying that most people don't understand them at all. That too many folks are fear driven without logic and that any dog owner or dog lover already knows a lot about coyotes. In fact I'll expand it to say that anyone with a bit of curiosity and a heart would likely be interested in learning more about the wild world all around us, and in particular, a very interesting dog that is a significant part of that world.

So, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Thanks again to you all that have given us good advice. Thanks to you all that have shown support to this little underdog. The little desert survivor. This evening, once again, Sandy is well and completely oblivious to all the turmoil her existence has stirred up.

She went out this morning at 5:30, as the day began. A stretch and a look at the possibilities in front of her, I imagine. Untethered, she then trotted off to her new den, the one she developed, and settled for a morning nap. Later, Liye called and got no response from the sleepy dog. So she sent Bei Bei to get her. Bei Bei went right to the den and ventured only half way in. Some conversation must have ensued, and the pair came back to liye. Sandy looking very sleepy and Bei Bei wagging her tail as fast as ever.

 

[s219]

Wow, she's growing like a weed! I sincerely hope things work out for you all.

 

[MotorSeven]

I always marvel at folks reaction to certain animals. A few days ago we were headed up the driveway and a really large(6'-ish) black snake was starting to cross but had stopped. My wife stopped so the snake would not try and dart under the wheels. When he still didn't move I got out to see why he was so sluggish. Ahhh, must have had a big wood rat meal since he was sporting quite a belly. I picked him up by the tail and both of us looked him over for a min before I set him down on the other side of the drive.
With 10 different couples, that scenario would have played out in many ways. Some would have run him over, shot at, ignored, never picked him up 'cause they are "slimy", etc.
Fear has tragic results for a lot of wildlife. So whenever I am around others and especially kids and a "critter" is found, I go out of my way to show them not to fear. Respect is needed for some animals, but fear really has no place at all.

 

[BMod]

John, please ignore the haters, and continue posting, we are all getting a nature lesson here, and we have you and your wife to thank for it. It is great reading your posts, I thank you for the time you spend describing what is going on, it's like reading a book, but with a hands on real time feel to it. Once again, thank you, and keep on posting.....Brian

 

[Redbug]

Yup...I enjoy reading your daily posts. Sandy sure is cute! I notice your writing skills...This would make a great story for a children's book...

 

[RandyBell]

John; Sandy is growing up well, and I do believe that given time she will learn to hunt and survive, after all she has her instincts. The main thing you guys are supporting her through the adolence time, she learned to make her own den, you didn't show her. Through her hunting of the lizards and other small critters she will learn what she needs to survive.
It is unfortunate that such a person would take up veternary shop, I would have serious doubts about using them for any of they animals, because they arleady showed it was a business not a love for animals. There has been contraversy about rabies vaccine on the other canines but our wolves have been getting them for years without any problem. Europe put out bait with vaccine in it to eliminate rabies over there, but it is beneath some to attempt it here.
As far as people being (reluctant) around her we get the same at times around here. It really gets you when they are petting and loving on them then learn what they are and jump back. They didn't change, just the big bad wolf syndrome in action.
Just love and support her she will make her decision hopefully before one is made for her.. Keep taking pics we all love to see how she is growing.

Randy

 

[Raspy]

About 2 1/2 years ago we began to find bird feathers in the back yard of our other house. After a while we discovered there was a kitty living in our shed. We had three dogs at the time and she was being a stealth cat. Liye invited her out for a snack and told the dogs not to chase her. Soon she had moved in and is still with us today out in the wilds of Nevada. We call her Kitty. We took Kitty to the vet, after she adopted us, to get her shots and have her checked out. The vet said "what's her name", Liye said "Kitty", the vet said "we know she's a kitty, what's her name?", Liye said "we call her Kitty", the vet said (in a strained tone) "we KNOW she's a kitty, but what is her name?" Liye said "we just call her Kitty". At that point I stepped up to the counter and said, very clearly, "her name is Kitty". The receptionist said "oh yeah, why not just call her Kitty?".

Kitty and Bei Bei like each other but have never been able to figure out a game that they each like and understand. Enter Sandy.

We began to notice that Kitty was not afraid of Sandy and would always hold her ground. She might hiss if she waned to be left alone, but wasn't preparing for a battle. Then Sandy began to chase Kitty and it seemed like an annoyance to the cat more than fun. Now Kitty is batting Sandy and playing with her. Sandy chases kitty and they romp around the yard having fun. But if Kitty does growl at Sandy and seems irritated, Bei Bei will run right over and get between them. She is always protecting Sandy, but with Kitty involved, it seems more like concern over disorder than recognizing a threat. A peacemaker. A concerned family member.

Instead of Sandy just going free during the day and in at night, she is now free all the time unless we want her under better control. She is only leashed in the house and occasionally on the front porch, if needed. She has spent the last few nights in her den. We went out with Bei Bei this morning and told her to go get Sandy. Bei Bei looks in the den and her tail wags. Out comes Sandy looking sleepy and glad to see us all. A nice period of play, treats and romping around, then she just wanted to go to her perch and survey the situation. Get some sun. Sniff the air and be a dog.

It's been cold recently too. Windy, rain and hail. Apparently, she is fine outside and comes out of her den warm. It doesn't bother her a bit.

She is clearly less interested in being with us in the house. Loves us and greets us, but then settles into a dog routine of her own, outside. We are just part of her world. It seems she is now self assured and is just being who she is. Not so dependent like in the earlier weeks.

We are minimizing her food and looking for ways to encourage her to hunt. She seems not very hungry lately. Liye has seen her eating the leaves of the desert peach and some grass. She found a dry rabbit leg to play with and chew. She likes beetles and ants. We are not sure how much time she spends looking for food since she lives in her den now. There are lots of rabbits running around here, but we haven't seen her chase on yet.

So, things are progressing nicely at this point. She is much happier and so are we. She knows how to be a coyote better than we do. The transition to the wild continues. Now we need to get her to the point where she can hunt adequately to support herself.

Her personality seems like half cat and half dog. Shy, sleeps a lot during the day, bats with her paws, crouches and pounces on bugs and never barks. Like a cat. But in all other ways she is a typical dog with her displays of status, growling, chewing, wanting treats, using her mouth for expression, energetic playing and running around.

What an interesting little dog! We have now been taking care of her for two months and she was probably 3 days old when our neighbor picked her up. One thing keeps coming up in all of our observances, that is how fast she is growing and maturing. Without exaggeration I can say we see have seen changes in her from day to day. Bigger one day, a color change the next, ears bigger one day, vision better the next, a new trick one day, and able to do something harder the next, etc. I guess this is the way of the wild where predators abound and competition for resources is heavy. Animals must come up to speed as soon as they can. She seems to know exactly what she needs and where she is going.