Q & A with The Daily Coyote

The difference between dogs and coyotes, Part II

2008-08-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Again, a disclaimer: I have no idea what I'm talking about. All I know is my experience with Charlie, and now Chloe. That said, DOGS ARE SO MUCH EASIER! I'm sure part of this has to do with the experience I've gained from raising Charlie, and some of it is Chloe's personality. But here are some little daily examples of the difference between them.

Chloe is blindly obedient. It seems her decisions are solely determined by what is being asked of her, what I want, and what would make me happy. Charlie, on the other hand, does what I ask, but it seems he often calculates in his mind whether it in HIS best interests as well as mine. Much more like a person. He follows commands, especially when we're out on walks and with serious things like "drop it" when he steals the phone or other contraband, but when we're just hanging out, the calculations come into play. If he's outside playing and I want him to come in, it often takes the promise of cheese, so that he sees there's something in it for him.

Chloe is incredibly smart and extremely athletic - she's border collie and hunting hound, quite a combo. But even so, she is far more easily entertained than Charlie. Charlie simply has a genius mind and Olympic-worthy physical makeup, and it takes a lot more activity and stimulation to keep him from getting bored. (When he gets bored he turns to doing highly annoying things like opening cupboards and emptying their contents, bringing each item, one by one, into a pile in the center of the room.)

Other differences - Chloe smells way more like a dog. WAY stronger, heavier scent. Charlie's scent is far more discrete. It's the difference between a stargazer lily and a wildflower.

Chloe's movements are heavier and more abrupt as well, despite her athleticism. Charlie moves much more like a cat than a domestic dog. Actually, in all of these descriptions, Charlie is closer in behavior and demeanor to a domestic cat than a domestic dog.

Edited to add, after receiving several emails pondering Eli's influence on Charlie: I think the cat-ishness is coyote nature - MC sees it in the wild, and I'm always amazed when I watch foxes in the wild as they move EXACTLY like cats, and yet they are canines as well. My personal theory, after watching so many wild animals since I've been here, is that humans, as a species, have passed on their worst traits to domestic dogs. With a life of conveniences comes a certain complacency.... But that's an essay in itself!

I want a coyote pup. Do you have any advice?

2008-08-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

This Spring, I recieved emails along the lines of "I want a coyote pup," or "I found a litter of coyote pups and brought one home," or "my husband shot a coyote, found her den, and we brought home all seven pups and we're going to raise them and some of my neighbors want some too," all ending in "do you have any advice?"

Charlie has changed my life in incredible ways; he has brought me joy and wonder and wisdom and has provided me with lessons I probably would not have learned any other way. However, it is not all peaches and roses.

Raising Charlie and giving him a high quality of life while keeping him safe and protected, and also keeping my neighbors and their animals safe and protected from him, has been expensive and time consuming - more expensive and time consuming than one would ever imagine. Luckily, I have an extremely low standard of living. I don't mind driving a $1500 truck; I don't mind living in a tiny cabin with running water only during the warm months. Luckily, I live adjacent to hundreds of acres of BLM (untouched public land) where I can walk Charlie for hours and never cross a road, never pass another house, never encounter another person. Luckily, I am able to make a living from home, which has allowed me to stay close to Charlie and attend to him throughout the day and go on hikes with him, work with him, or play with him all throughout the day.

From everything I have read and everyone I have talked with, coyotes generally do not accept more than one or two people. Charlie has never accepted anyone but MC and I. This means visitors must be dealt with accordingly to keep dangerous situations from even having the chance of occuring and to minimize stress on Charlie. It also means that I can't bring him with me if I were to visit friends or family, and I can't leave him with a pet-sitter and go on vacation. I am lucky that MC can watch Charlie if I should need to go out of town. But, I have not left my town in the past year that I have had Charlie.

I did not raise Charlie because I thought it would be "way cool" to have a pet coyote; I did it as the only recourse against a young death. MC's presence and his lifetime of experience with coyotes and other wild animals has been absolutely essential, and, as "cute" as this sounds, I am dead serious when I say I could not have succeeded without Eli.

Charlie was - and is - a divine gift to me and he is a gift to the world. Would I make the same decision if I had it to do over again? Absolutely. Will I ever raise another coyote? No way.

Cows & Cruelty

2008-08-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

This email conversation is posted here at the suggestion of the woman who emailed me, and is in response to this post on The Daily Coyote.

Q: I'm kind of sad to read about "bum calves" and how they're shipped off to the processor as if they're objects and not breathing, feeling animals. That was hard for me to read. I just find the entire dairy/cattle industry to be wrought with disrespect for these animals. And yet I occasionally eat meat and consume milk. You seem to live very close to the earth, and so I'm sure you do care for these animals, which I'm glad for. I just hope that all your exposure to the cattle/dairy farming lifestyle doesn't numb you to what happens to them at the processing plant. Are there options on how their lives are ended?

The way you expressed your interest in acquiring a calf seemed . . . a bit cold and removed from the animals who suffer on our behalf. That's why I'm writing to you. But personally I've always wrestled with how to bridge my natural desire for meat protein with how so many of these animals are raised and killed. I know you would treat your animals with complete respect, so you're once again in a position to share your alternative lifestyle with others and educate them on how it's possible to be a meat eater and ensure that your animals live safe and respected lives. I'll look forward to reading more.

A: You're not the first to email me with these sentiments, but you are the nicest in how you've gone about expressing your thoughts! First, for those who don't know, a "bum calf" is a calf that is not accepted by it's mother - the mother will not allow it to nurse. This often happens in the case of a cow having twins. The mother cow will try to kill one of the twins in order to keep her milk solely for the other one. Really. I've watched it, and driven the "getaway car" in rescuing bum twins.

In a nutshell, anyone who feeds their pets food that is not expressly vegetarian, or eats meat themselves, supports the "processing" of animals; for some reason it seems easier to have a third party do it and buy it in a bag of dogfood or at a restaurant and not feel that it is cruel. I've been working in the ranching industry since I've been here and see the enormous care and devotion the ranchers give their stock. The animals have a wonderful life, and any calf I had in my care would as well.

The thing that is so horrifying to me is that 90% of the meat people eat is from cows that have spent a year - more than half their life - in feedlots. The animals are completely contained, with no grass, no space to move, wallowing in their own refuse, fed horrible things with the sole purpose of having them gain weight as fast as possible for maximimum profit.

The best thing anyone can do if they want to support the humane treatment of the animals we eat is buy only grass-fed, grass-fattened beef - these are cows that spend their whole life on pasture. The way the industry works now, ranchers raise calves for about 9 months and then sell them to middle-men who put them on feedlots and "finish" the calves, and from there they go to the consumer.

It's virtually impossible for the ranchers in my area not to sell their calves to feedlots because there simply isn't a large enough consumer market for grass-fed beef and these smaller, family-run ranches aren't equipped to sell their beef directly to the consumer. Unfortunately, the high-production ranches and corporate ranching industry make a hell of a lot more money with the status quo, with selling their cattle to be confined on feedlots; that, along with a relatively small segment of the consumer population that is willing to hold out for grass-fed, means change is happening slowly.

It is up to all of us to make choices that promote our beliefs, that promote grass-fed versus feedlots. Grass-fed beef was the only meat I bought before I moved here - and I didn't eat much meat because it is about four times as expensive. Now I can be sure that the only meat I eat is humanely raised as well, because it's from calves from ranchers I know and have never been on feedlots.

Is Charlie a trickster?

2008-07-30T18:52:00.001-07:00

Mix a toddler and a teenager and you'll have some idea of the coyote trickster. Charlie can open cupboards, drawers, and can turn on the sink. He knows what he is and is not allowed to do, but sometimes he pulls out his tricks even if they run counter. His favorite thing to do when I was working on the book was jump on the counter and turn on the sink with his teeth. I'd get up and turn it off and scold him, sit back down at my computer, and minutes later, he'd have turned the water back on. Over and over and over!

Some believe the trickster brings the message of "don't take things too seriously," and this is certainly Charlie's way. He doesn't ever do any damage, but makes me realize how little, in the scheme of what makes up our lives, is really that important, and how very important the little things are.

Is Charlie a trickster?

2008-06-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Yes. I'll go into details later / next week / sometime, but my manuscript is due Monday so that's all I can muster here at the moment.

Is Charlie's tail ever raised? I notice that it's usually down while Eli's is way up.

2008-06-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

Charlie keeps his tail low 90% of the time - it's a coyote thing. It's actually a significant differentiation between coyotes and wolves other than their size - coyotes hold their tails low, wolves hold theirs out. Charlie raises his tail in plane with his back when he's going after prey, either in ernest or in play, otherwise it's low and nonchalant, and floats in the air as he moves like a plume.

Eli always has his tail up, but the very tip does change expression. It goes from totally straight (when he's surprised or "on"), to a slight one-inch curve at the tip (normal), to the whole thing shaping into a shepherd's crook (when he's running fast).

How is Charlie similar to and/or different from domestic dogs in his social behavior? Part I.

2008-06-13T18:41:00.001-07:00

This is a great question, a common question from you all, and one that requires a lengthy and multifaceted answer, so I'll take it in parts. First of all, I don't have a ton of experience with dogs; spending time with the dogs my friends and family members have (and now Chloe, the puppy) is the extent of it. So, I can only use what I've seen for this comparison, though I'm sure there is great variation among dogs.

Social Behavior With People:
Every dog I've known has been eager to meet strangers and been incredibly accepting and friendly towards humans they've never met. Though some dogs are antisocial and most animals will be less accepting of certain people (reading their energy), the generalization I'm making is obvious at any park, and it's why there's the old cliche that guys get dogs to meet chicks.

Charlie's the opposite. He does not blindly accept people (other than MC and me), he doesn't trust them, he doesn't want to get friendly with them. I don't know if this is soley a function of being a coyote or if a natural tendency was exacerbated because I was so concerned about keeping him low-key in my town that I did not socialize him to lots of people when he was young.

Charlie has never tried to attack strangers who come by, but if he felt cornered or threatened, he might. Sometimes he makes a territorial challenge huff-bark when people come to my house, other times he hides and watches from afar. It depends on the person, how close they get, and how long they stay.

When it comes to social behavior with people, Charlie is more like the average adult than the average dog - he goes in on the defensive and does not offer up his trust, it must be drawn out and earned over time.

What is the lifespan of a coyote, and how will Charlie affect your future plans? What will happen to him if you relocate or move on?

2008-05-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

A coyote's natural lifespan is similar to a dog's; 10, 12, 15 years. Charlie is now a significant factor in my future plans. He is part of my life and will be taken into consideration in all my decision making; his needs will be taken into consideration in my decision making. It's simply the way it is, and I don't have any problem with that, though it does add complexity to everything. For example, I am trying to buy land, and certain properties I've looked at that would be wonderful under normal circumstances just won't work because of the Charlie factor.

I have no idea where the course of my life will take me; so far, it's been so bizarre that I've stopped attempting to predict. I wouldn't move Charlie into the city, obviously, and this is fine. It doesn't seem like a sacrifice; it's the facts of my life, and when I lived in the city I lived it to the max, and I don't long for it (except for sushi). So, the only thing I can answer with certainty is that everything I will or may do will be done with Charlie in mind.

How does Eli react to other coyotes, and how does Charlie react to other cats?

2008-05-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

Charlie has never seen another cat. I know they're in the area because Eli has come home with another cat's claw sticking straight out of his forehead (I have faith the other guy looked worse), but they never come around here, and Charlie and I have never crossed paths with other cats on our walks.

I have no idea if Eli has directly encountered any coyote besides Charlie, I've never been witness to it. I'm sure Eli knows Charlie's individual scent and I would assume he would steer clear of coyotes while he's roaming the countryside like the star of an old Western,
but who knows. Maybe they're his posse.

Have you considered making a video of Charlie playing in the corn?

2008-05-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to so badly but the cows ate all the corn before I got my hands on a video camera. Next year, I promise, because it's truly amazing to watch his corn antics in live action. I can't decide if it's a mesmerizing coyote ballet, or if it will turn into the latest rage in aerobics videos.

Why is Charlie neutered?

2008-05-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

I guess I didn't explain this well enough in the post below. It got to the point where it was undeniable that Charlie was with me for life. He was emotionally attached to me and Eli and MC and taking him into the wild would be like any of you abandoning an animal that had become family - a form of cruelty.

Separate from that, Charlie had gotten just accostomed enough to the ways of humans to, if he were set out in the wild, be a danger to himself and to others. Separate even from that are statistics. In the past six months, over five hundred coyotes have been killed in my county alone just from the aerial program. That's not taking into account coyotes that are trapped or shot on foot. Charlie wouldn't have lasted a week.

Once it was certain that Charlie was going to stick around and like it, I wondered if neutering him would give him peace of mind. We all know what hormones will do to a brain. I didn't want Charlie to be trapped in internal conflict between wanting to be "home" and the drive to procreate. I talked with educated folks about this stuff and the facts corroborated my intuition.

Is Charlie neutered?

2008-05-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

Yes. When I realized Charlie had decided to stay with me, I started thinking about neutering him, but it wasn't until I got a mind-to-mind transmission from him (no joke) that "it was time" that I went ahead and did it. I did the procedure myself - it went smoothly and with no complications, though it's a very long story so you'll have to read the book to get the details.

Do you groom Charlie? Revisited.

2008-04-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

In the past few weeks, I have gotten emails from many of you touting the wonder that is the "Furminator". I looked at this pet-grooming brush online, but even after your testimonials, I could not bring myself to spend $50 on a dog brush. Then, yet another person emailed me about this brush, and noted that it could be found for a discounted price online if one searched. I did, found a deal, and ordered it.

The Furminator came today and WOW. It truly is amazing. I brushed out SO MUCH FUR it was shocking, and it was so much fun! Charlie loves it, too; he can't get enough. I then moved on to Eli, and filled A SHOEBOX with Eli's fur. I will be extra warm this winter - I'm going to knit myself a bodysuit from Charlie's wool and a pair of kitten mittens.

Long question here, see body of post...

2008-04-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

Q: I read a book written by a man who has raised and lived with wolves for many years - one of the many issues he brought forth dealt with the differences in how wolves and dogs develop. In simple terms, dogs have been bred for thousands of years to maintain their "puppyhood," i.e, their willingness to submit themselves to us as their leaders, throughout their lifespans. On the other hand, wolves go through puppyhood and mature, and they begin to make their own decisions. Accordingly, a competition for control can occur, which can be dangerous for a human who assumes he or she is boss. Usually, the writer said, the maturing wolf simply begins to make its own decisions - it may continue on friendly terms with a human, but it won't take orders anymore. I'm very much interested in how your relationship with Charlie develops, in this regard. Any comments?

A: This theroy is common among those who work with wolves and coyotes, though many dog owners, especially those with difficult dogs, tend to disagree with it. I certainly don't know enough outside of my own experience with Charlie to take a side. However, all canines work within the pack system, and even with wolves and coyotes, there is an "alpha" who makes decisions which the rest of the pack uphold.

As Charlie matured this winter, he called on me to become extremely strong within myself in order for me to maintain my alpha status. This wasn't just a task of action, it was a task of energetics.

Though I've always considered Charlie and I "a team" and I respect his incredible intellegence and independent thought, by taking the alpha role, I allow Charlie the security that comes from his position as subordinate. I reinforce "the order" in subtle ways all the time. I go through doors first. He no longer gets to sleep on my bed, ever, though we do spoon on the floor or on his dog bed every day. He must sit before going out or coming in, before getting food, and before getting treats. And he does all this, with, I dare say, a coyote smile.

I've noticed he watches me closely, and my actions and reactions influence the conclusions he draws for himself - for example, he is very afraid of strange vehicles, but if he sees me walking up to an "unknown" car in the driveway (I make a point of leaning up against it casually, knowing he is watching), he lets go of his fear and deems it safe.

When my truck broke down, I borrowed a friends second truck. When they dropped it off, Charlie ran away from it and hid, yet after seeing me get in and out of it once, Charlie didn't try to hide from it anymore. That, to me, is an example of the alpha/subordinate relationship - he trusts me enough to trust what I trust.

How many dogs have you raised?

2008-04-08T08:25:00.001-07:00

None.... Charlie is my first canine, not counting the dog my family had when I was a kid. Scarlett was a bloodhound-lab mix, and we got her when she was three. She was the kindest, mellowest dog, and I was just a kid so the actual "responsibility of a dog" went over my head. So, I went into the raising of Charlie completely blind and ignorant. I've read a lot, been in touch with many people with great knowledge, and relied on my intuition, trial and error, and, most importantly, paid close attention to what Charlie tells me along the way.

Does Charlie have a favorite toy?

2008-04-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

At the moment, Charlie's favorite toy is a roll of masking tape. He's so weird. But it has been providing us hours of entertainment. I roll it across the floor, he tosses it it the air and catches the ring of it around his snout - it's hilarious. He is also loving dried papaya spears. I gave him a piece last week and he's been playing with it ever since, batting it around and slowly nibbling it. I highly recommend dried papaya for you dog owners - a google search deems it safe, and it's way cheaper than rawhide, which Charlie also loves.

How big is Charlie?

2008-04-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Charlie stands 22 inches at the shoulder (fur height included). By sight, he matches the average border collie or coonhound in size, but that's due to his full coat and long legs. Coyotes generally don't weigh more than 35 pounds, and Charlie is no exception, despite a diet that any coyote would envy. I've never weighed him, but he's still so easy to pick up (and yes, he still lets me). I'd guess he weighs about 30 pounds.

This question relates to the post below: If Charlie is not allowed to roam at night, doesn't it prevent him from deciding to be wild?

2008-03-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Charlie's behaviors make his attitude clear, and I pay close attention to what he shows me in our interactions and in his daily life to determine if he wants to stick around or not. I would NEVER let him just walk off down the road. I would take him to a place where he would have a chance of surviving for more than a week and release him there.

What are Charlie's sleep habits like, and how do they mesh with yours and Eli's? Do they change with the moon?

2008-03-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

Charlie has always slept all night long. It kind of cracks me up. We roughhouse and play right before bed and then he goes to sleep around the same time I do, and sleeps until I wake up. When he sleeps inside, he never wakes up before me, but once I'm up he is too, and we have a sweet little lovefest to start the day. I usually leave him outside around the full moon because he does stay up all night when the moon is bright. (He's contained so he doesn't go on a walkabout - it's easy to predict what would happen if someone saw him wandering through their yard under a full moon). Eli's another story - he's out carousing all night and comes in between 5 and 7 in the morning to lounge around the house all day and boss us around.

How do you discipline Charlie?

2008-03-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

I rely mainly on eye contact and the word "Hey." I discovered very early on that Charlie responds extremely well to eye contact and I use it to transmit all sorts of information, from comfort and "you're safe" messages when he is scared, to discipline. Charlie is magically intelligent, and at this point in our relationship, he knows the order of things; he knows what is expected of him and what behaviors are OK and which are not. He knows when he's being naughty and always looks at me sideways to see if he can get away with it, and I give him a Look. And usually he changes his behavior based on that look.

When he ignores me, "Hey" comes into play. "Hey" is a universal term we use that means "you know you're pushing the boundaries, little one." When he was much younger, I bit him on the ear when I said "Hey," and I think this action helped reinforce the power of the word. Ear-biting is a disciplinary measure that canine mothers use on their pups, and so by doing this myself while also saying "Hey," Charlie and I were able to communicate in his language as well as mine, and the authority of the word alone became ingrained.

Do you groom Charlie?

2008-03-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

I don't brush Charlie or clip his nails, but it's not for any particular reason other than I don't have a brush or nail clippers! I keep meaning to buy a dog brush when I'm in town and then I forget - Charlie loves it when I massage him and brush him with my fingernails, and a brush may come in handy as he sheds.

I will also get around to buying nail clippers as well, if only for his dew claws. He does a good job of keeping his front claws somewhat dull by digging and general spastic behaviour, but his dew claws are like little talons. And with Spring approaching and less clothing covering my body, those dew claws scratch if he jumps on me. I am in the middle of teaching him "Down", but clipping the claws may be a measure I take until Down is perfected.

What does the community think of Charlie?

2008-03-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I don't know. People who have seen him think he is beautiful, and I can see they are entranced - men and women alike. But, when gossip is about you, you are the last one to hear it, and I don't know what people are saying about me and Charlie except for what they say to my face. And what has been said directly to me has been neither good nor bad - never a judgement call, only observations and questions that are borne of curiosity. So I truly don't know what people really think.

Does Charlie attract a lot of fleas, and how do you deal with them?

2008-03-22T05:40:00.001-07:00

Charlie has never had one flea. Well, he did when he was a baby - when he arrived, he was covered with the fattest fleas I'd ever seen. Covered with them. But since then, he has never gotten fleas or ticks. Eli's had fleas from time to time and I put anti-flea drops on his fur every so often, but have never treated Charlie; it just doesn't seem to be necessary.

So you're writing a book about Charlie, but when is it coming out?

2008-03-22T05:39:00.001-07:00

The book will be out in November!

Is Charlie housebroken?

2008-03-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

Oh yes. When he was a tiny puppy, I thought, "a few messes here and there on my plywood floor aren't that big a deal..." Then he grew and so did the puddles. I trained him to use the cat box to pee in if he was inside, like in the middle of the night, and he does everything else outside. He scratches at the door when he needs to go out.

When we are at houses that actually have indoor plumbing, I show Charlie the shower or bathtub upon arrival and when he needs to go, he saunters into the bathroom, hops in the tub, and pees down the drain. Then I turn on the water to flush it. It's a handy trick, and really, how cool is it to say, "A coyote peed in my shower!"