about 2am. In my slumber I heard a couple of coyote's yodeling pretty close. Maybe just a hundred yards or so from my bedroom window. Then I heard my wife's little Shi-Tzu/Cocker mix start barking. OUTSIDE!!! I bee-lined for the backdoor, nuisance abatement device in hand. The missus had woken to some fireworks and thought it would be a good idea to put the dogs out so they could 'do' their business. She wasn't out with them, and there were no lights on out back. Got the dogs in, and I could have sworn I saw a shadowy figure in the pasture out back. Overcast night, so I'm not 100% on what it was. We have deer, fox, and all kinds of wildlife around here. Some say we even have Bob-cats. Watch your pets, early morning, evening, and at night. They are prey to coyotes and the like.
Thank heavens you were vigilant! We too have coyotes and bobcats. We have a resident bobcat who brings her kits down to the pond at dawn and sundown for a drink. Our chickens are secure in the "Ft. Knox chicken coop" so I don't worry so much about the bobcats and coyotes as I do the feral cats. We've heard stories about small dogs being taken by coyotes, and even by hawks! I hope everyone takes your advice to heart and keeps an eye on their pets when outside.
Very glad you woke up when you did and got the doggy inside safely. Even in the middle of a major metropolitan area we have coyotes that have been catching stray cats and small dogs in backyards . Someone swears they saw a Bobcat but there has been no proof of that. So far our Hawks haven't gone for anything bigger than squirrels. But there is a yappy little dog the people across the street let out in the mornings that I have been tempted to sling up for them to practice catching lunch 'on the fly'. And NO I wouldn't really do that, it's just a fantasy I have when the yapping gets irritating.
Lucky that you are a light sleeper! That could have had such a bad ending. We are on the edge of our small town, and even though our yard has a 6 foot fence around it, I know it wouldn't stop a bobcat or the eagles.
Glad your puppy is safe. We had our dog escape one night a few weeks ago and I heard her outside at 5:30 am... I immediately woke up and ran... SHE DOESN'T EVER GO OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT! She got SKUNKED and still smell slightly fragrant of it.
I am glad the dogs are alright...we just had a sighting of a coyote in our neighborhood. A neighbor was playing with her dog before she went to work at 5 a.m. and one was in her yard. I guess she put some buckshot in his behind and he went running off. I hope he doesn't come back with friends.
I'm always on the lookout here. We live rural and have coyote, fisher, bobcat, puma and bear, all of which would love to have Sargent for breakfast.
We don't have coyotes here thankfully. I'm so glad nothing happened to your pets and that they're now safe and sound inside.
My oldest son and his family live in California, in the hills of Whittier. Their two precious yorkies were taken by a coyote in the blink of an eye, broad daylight, from their backyard. Any animal that is prey driven is a threat, even another dog. For example I have always loved greyhounds and have wanted to adopt a retired racer, but I won't do so until I no longer have tiny dogs. Greyhounds are bred and trained to be predatory, so even as sweet as they are, they would pose a threat.
I live on the edge of wilderness. We seem to have most everything (except grizzly bears) that could come into a yard. Most yards here are fenced with 6' solid fencing but a determined predator can get in - 'where there is a will there is a way' idea. Never a good idea to leave a cat or dog outside at night and IMO it isn't even really safe to leave them in a yard tied up. Having a roof on the top of a dog run is a must. Good you got your pets back into the house safe and sound and none the worse for wear.
