Coydog - About the Coyote Dog Hybrid Breed

The existence of true coyote dog hybrids, also known as coydogs or dogotes, is often the subject of hot debate. This is because, at first glance, the facts seem to be a little contradictory. For instance, there is little scientific evidence of coyotes and dogs breeding in the wild, however, it is a genetic fact that coyotes can breed with dogs and wolves, subsequently producing fertile offspring.

So why aren't coydogs more common in rural areas? Actually, the issue is not as puzzling as it first appears. The reason there is little evidence of coyotes mating with dogs in the wild is simply because social habits and statistics makes the opportunity and probability of mating quite low indeed.

The coyote social structure is somewhat different from the domestic canine, and, quite frankly, coyotes would rather eat a dog than befriend one. Coyotes also have very different breeding cycles and mating behaviors. It is believed the male coyote sperm count remains low or dormant for most of the year and only picks up for about 60 days in the spring in conjunction with the female coyotes once a year heat cycle. Coyote males usually stick with one female through the breeding season as well, even assisting in feeding and raising the puppies. Some researchers believe they mate for life. Others believe only the alpha male gets to breed. So you see, and this is just my individual theory, it's simply a numbers game. For a coyote and a dog to mate, the choice of female coyotes would have to be so low that the male would not have a "girlfriend" to start with, then, he would have to meet a female dog (too large to eat), who just happened to be in heat within the same two month period that he was producing sperm. The above scenario is not impossible, just a rarity, statistically speaking.

Even though rare, I do believe they exist, as a matter of fact I suspect I may have one myself. If you want a better understanding of coydogs, then you will definitely find his story interesting reading. Possibly having a coy dog myself, I find the subject very alluring and a few years ago I did a thorough internet message board study to find out what other self proclaimed coydog owners had to say about their experiences. The data gathered from others sharing their story was quite substantial and there appeared to be a few common threads running through the information.

For starters, most were discovered in or adopted at shelters in remote areas as young puppies. Most had a mix of both coyote and dog like physical characteristics and mannerisms, including incredible piercing eyes. Although some were considered gentle, none were known to be particularly playful or outgoing. But, it was their reaction to fearful situations that turned out to be the most diverse and interesting factor about the coyote dog hybrid's personality.

Their tactics at handling perceived adverse situations fell into just one of two extreme different groups. About half had somewhat nervous, shy, fearful personalities and they were quick to bite if they felt threatened, angry or afraid. Many of these coydogs were normal as puppies but became more neurotic as they grew to adulthood. The other half were shy as well, but less neurotic, more gentle, and they never bit - not under any circumstances. Fortunately, our dog fell into this latter category. What's interesting is this - none of the coydogs fell into a more moderate "middle of the road" tendency to bite category, a category to which most canines would be expected to belong. In other words, the coyotes tendency to fear bite was extremely high or extremely low.

wyle a possible coydog hybrid adopted from a rural shelter

To my knowledge, there have been few, if any, formal studies done on the subject of coyote dog breeding habits, coydog biology or coydog behavioral characteristics. The findings and theories presented in this article are based on common threads pieced together from a few biological findings and the experiences of myself and other coydog owners (who may or may not actually have a "real" coydog). My theories are not proven or absolute, however, I hope that some day we will have scientific evidence regarding this fascinating subject.

I'd like to point out in closing, that in most cases, coydogs are not considered a good choice for a pet. They should never be removed from their den or stolen from their mothers. Adults can be dangerous and they should not be approached. If an abandoned puppy is found, it would be best to turn it over to a proper authority or expert as they will know what will be in it's best interest.

Coydog Picture Photo Collection

A picture collection of possible coydog coyote dog hybrid pet photos

Racket's Story

Racket's Story provides a nice insight into life as a coydog