How to Protect Your Dog From Coyotes, Season by Season

Last updated: January 2026

Coyotes now live in nearly every American city and suburb. Most of the time they keep to themselves and eat rodents, rabbits and fruit. Trouble starts when a coyote learns that yards mean food, or when a dog wanders into its territory during the months it is most protective.

That season is now: coyote mating season is underway in January. Below is what wildlife agencies and researchers have found about who is at risk, when and where, plus what to do on walks, in your yard and if a coyote makes contact.

Do coyotes attack dogs?

They do, though serious attacks are uncommon. The best data come from a study of 4,006 coyote reports collected by 22 agencies in the Denver Metropolitan Area. Of the 510 conflicts, 471 were pet attacks and only 13 were attacks on people, and about half of those human cases involved a pet.

Here is what the Denver team found in the pet-attack reports with enough detail to describe.

For perspective, Aurora logged 209 dog attacks on humans in 2009 and just 2 coyote conflicts. In Chicago, the Urban Coyote Research Project, led by Ohio State ecologist Stan Gehrt, found a similar pattern. Its newspaper review turned up 70 attacks on dogs and 10 on cats in the metro area, with reported attacks rising from 0 to 2 a year in 1990 to 6 to 14 a year by 2004.

When is coyote mating season, and why does it matter for dogs?

Coyote mating season runs roughly January through March across most of the US. Texas Parks and Wildlife says coyotes breed from mid-January to early March, with pups born after a 63 to 65 day gestation.

During breeding season, coyote pairs defend territory hard. The Forest Preserves of Cook County put it plainly: a coyote “will defend its territory against any other canine it determines to be encroaching, particularly if the animal is smaller, such as a fox or small pet dog.” Once dens are set up, parents guard them through spring and summer. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) says dog conflicts are more likely in March and April, as coyotes set up dens for pups.

“This is the time of year when New York’s resident coyotes breed and set up dens for pups that will arrive in the spring.”

Basil Seggos, Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

The City of Dallas coyote plan splits the year into three seasons.

Which dogs and cats are most at risk?

Size matters most. NY DEC says small dogs are at the greatest risk of being harmed or killed, and that coyotes may approach small dogs on streets at night near natural areas even with the owner there. The state’s incident procedures single out dogs under about 40 pounds as the ones territorial coyotes treat as competitors.

In the Chicago records, of roughly 30 breeds attacked, 20 were small breeds, 3 were medium and 6 were large. Yorkshire terriers and Shih Tzus topped the list. Small-dog attacks were more often fatal and usually involved one coyote. Labs and Golden Retrievers were attacked too, usually by two or more coyotes at once.

Gehrt’s Ohio State bulletin notes that attacks on larger dogs are usually tied to the January through April breeding season, and often start when an off-leash dog chases a coyote or noses into a den.

Cats are the most vulnerable of all. In a Canadian review cited by NY DEC, there were 32 reports of coyote attacks on cats, and every one was fatal. A cat roaming at night is, to a coyote, about the same size as a rabbit.

How do you walk your dog safely in coyote country?

The Humane Society of the United States (now Humane World for Animals) says to always walk your dog on a leash 6 feet long or less. That length keeps your dog close enough to pick up or pull behind you in a second. Project Coyote’s model coexistence plan makes the same point for small dogs and adds two more: avoid brushy areas and edge zones, and avoid walking at dawn and dusk, when coyotes are most active.

• Use a fixed leash. A long retractable lead lets a small dog drift out of reach. Our guide to the best dog leashes covers sturdy standard options.
• Shift walk times when you can. If you must go out at dusk, stick to lit streets rather than greenbelts. Our tips on walking your dog in the dark help.
• Be seen and carry light. NY DEC suggests carrying a flashlight or walking stick. A lit collar, like the ones in our LED dog collar guide, also helps you keep eyes on your dog.
• Pack a noisemaker. A whistle or small air horn weighs almost nothing.
• Do not let your dog chase or sniff into brush. That is how many fights start.

What should you do if a coyote shows up on a dusk walk?

Picture a January evening around five o’clock. The light is going, and you are walking your 12-pound terrier mix past a strip of brush at the edge of a park. About 50 feet ahead, something steps out onto the grass. At first you think it is a loose dog. Then you notice the bushy tail held low, the narrow muzzle and the tall ears. It is a coyote, and it is looking straight at your dog.

Most people’s first instinct is to turn and hurry home. That is the one thing wildlife agencies tell you not to do, because running can look like prey behavior. Los Angeles County’s coyote guidance says never to ignore, turn your back on or run from a coyote. Instead, you stay put, face it and take control of your dog.

So you shorten the leash and scoop your terrier up into your arms. If your dog were too big to lift, you would pull them close and step in front of them, so the coyote has to deal with you first. The HSUS hazing guide says exactly this: pick up your dog if possible or place them behind you, then haze. Picking up a small dog is not risk free, and LA County notes that an unusually bold coyote could bite while trying to reach the pet, but in most cases a tall, loud adult is the last thing a coyote wants to approach.

Now you get big and loud. You stand up straight, hold your free arm high, look the coyote in the eye and shout something firm like “Go away, coyote!” You blow the whistle on your keychain. If it does not move, you take a few steps toward it, still yelling. The coyote trots a short way, stops and looks back. That pause is normal, and the guidance is to keep going until it leaves the area completely, not just until it backs up a few yards.

Suppose it does not leave, or a second coyote appears. That often means there is something nearby it is protecting, especially in spring when pups are in a den. In that case Project Coyote’s advice is to stop pushing and calmly walk away, keeping your eyes on the animals, and pick a different route for the next few weeks. You do not need to win the standoff. You only need to get your dog home.

The quieter risk in this scene is your dog. A small dog that wriggles free, or a big dog that slips a loose collar, may bolt in a panic. Frightened dogs often run far and fast, and they do not come when called. That is why a snug collar or harness and a readable ID tag matter as much on this walk as the whistle does. If the worst happened and your dog ran off into the dark, the person who finds them at the end of the block needs a way to reach you in seconds, not the next morning.

Once you are home, check your dog over even if nothing seemed to happen. Then think about reporting the sighting. A coyote that approaches leashed dogs and will not leave is exactly what agencies want to hear about. NY DEC asks residents to contact local police and the regional wildlife office when coyotes show “bold” behavior and little fear of people. Your report helps the next dog walker on that block.

How do you haze a coyote, step by step?

Hazing means scaring a coyote away so it relearns that people and their pets are not worth approaching. The HSUS guidelines, adapted from Denver’s program, say a coyote that is hazed by different people with different tools learns fastest, and that it typically takes only one or two times to haze a coyote away for good.

1. Secure your pet first. Pick up a small dog or pull a larger one behind you, so the coyote focuses on you.
2. Stand tall and face it. Make eye contact. Do not run or turn away.
3. Get loud. Yell “Go away, coyote!” and wave your arms. Add a whistle, air horn or shaken can of coins.
4. Step toward it if it stays. Increase the intensity. Throw a stick or small object toward, not at, the coyote, or spray it with a hose.
5. Keep going until it leaves. If it stops and looks back, keep hazing until it is out of the area.
6. Always leave it an exit. The National Park Service says never to corner a wild animal.

Skip hazing if the coyote looks sick or injured (call animal control), if it is simply passing at a distance, or if you may be near a den in spring. And the coyote must see the threat coming from a person, so hazing from your car does not work.

How do you coyote-proof your yard?

Most Denver pet attacks happened near the house or in the yard, so effort here pays off most.

• Build a taller fence. Project Coyote and Massachusetts wildlife officials recommend at least 6 feet, extending into the ground. Los Angeles County adds outward-facing extenders on top and a buried wire apron. NY DEC’s minimum is more than 4 feet, with 6 inches below ground.
• Add coyote rollers. These are spinning tubes mounted along the top of a fence so a coyote cannot get a grip to pull itself over. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management says the fence should be at least 5 feet tall before you add them. A homemade version is PVC pipe that spins around a tight wire.
• Remove food. Feed pets indoors, lock trash in lidded cans and put it out the morning of pickup, cover compost and pick up fallen fruit.
• Rethink the bird feeder. Spilled seed draws rodents, and rodents draw coyotes. NY DEC suggests removing feeders when coyotes are around.
• Take away cover. Trim brush, close off space under decks and sheds where a coyote might den, and add motion-sensor lights.
• Stay outside with your dog. Massachusetts officials say your presence next to your pet is what prevents an attack. Check the yard before letting your dog out after dark.

What should you do if a coyote attacks your dog?

If a coyote makes contact, California’s wildlife department is blunt: fight back, then call animal control or 911. Use noise, a stick or a hose, and keep your hands away from the animals’ mouths. Once the coyote retreats, get your dog to a vet.

Do not wait to see if the wounds look bad. The American Kennel Club recommends seeing a veterinarian as soon as possible after any fight, ideally within 6 hours, because infection risk drops when wounds are treated quickly. Bite wounds usually come in pairs and can hide under fur. The Merck Veterinary Manual warns that a small puncture on the surface can hide much deeper damage underneath, including broken ribs or injured organs.

Rabies is the other reason not to delay. Under the national rabies compendium used by vets and health departments, a wild carnivore that cannot be tested is treated as rabid. A dog that is current on rabies vaccine should get veterinary care for wound cleaning and an immediate rabies booster, then be kept under your control and watched for 45 days. Rules for unvaccinated dogs are far stricter.

Why should cats stay indoors in coyote country?

The Urban Coyote Research Project says the best way to make sure a cat is not attacked by a coyote is to keep it indoors at all times. To a coyote, a free-roaming cat is prey about the size of a rabbit or groundhog, and attacks on cats are normal coyote behavior, not a sign the animal is dangerous to people.

If your cat is used to going out, a catio, a harness and leash, or supervised time in the yard are safer options. Night is the riskiest time, so bring cats in before dark. And never leave cat food outside, which can draw coyotes to both cats and dogs.

Indoor cats still slip out, especially when a door is held open in cold weather. Our guide on how to keep an indoor cat from escaping covers door-dashing, and we explain why indoor cats still need ID tags.

Why does a dog that bolts from a coyote need ID?

A coyote does not have to touch your dog to cause a loss. Research on how far a lost dog can travel shows that panicked dogs often go farther than owners expect. The faster a stranger can reach you, the less time your dog spends loose in the dark near the same coyotes.

Make sure your dog wears a snug collar or harness with a current ID tag on every walk, and that the phone number still works. If your dog does run, follow a plan like our step-by-step lost dog guide. It also helps to keep good, recent photos of your dog on your phone. The free-to-download Lohji app, available on the App Store and Google Play, is the companion app for Shiloh’s House smart tags, where you set up your pet’s profile, and it can turn those photos into cartoon avatars and stickers too.

Frequently asked questions