# Is she a coydog?



## spillina (Mar 12, 2013)

Hello all, first off, I'm new to these forums, but came across them while doing research on our dog. We got here about 7 months ago (she's 1 yr and 3 months now). From the adoption agency, we were told border collie/possible BC mix. I knew that wolf-dog hybrids existed, and after doing some research, I came across the coydog. Our dog, Arya, exhibits many of the traits identified on this page:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/coydog.htm

She is VERY skiddish around people, sleeps curled up in a ball with tail over her head, yips, but never barks, has piercing yellow eyes, large ears that are always up, a long bushy tail that looks like a fox, is SUPER fast in the dog park (can outrun anydog that's chased her) and is fast to bite when scared. I'm probably missing something else, but those are many of her traits. I personally believe, until proved otherwise, that she's a coydog. Thoughts?


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

I think your dog looks more like a coyote mix than any on the coydog breed page. 

That's about my only thought, though. That and that she's really pretty.


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## spillina (Mar 12, 2013)

Thanks! She really is a beautiful dog. Very sweet too once you gain her trust.

One additional note, the adoption agency told us that she was found in the woods with her mother (the Border Collie)


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

spillina said:


> Thanks! She really is a beautiful dog. Very sweet too once you gain her trust.
> 
> One additional note, the adoption agency told us that she was found in the woods with her mother (the Border Collie)


Honestly, I'm skeptical of any dog that anyone believes is a coydog, for an assortment of reasons - chief among them that coyotes would rather eat a dog than mate with it, even in heat, and there are issues with breeding seasons (less an issue for a domestic dog mother, but still there). So, my default is 'nope', since they're such an astoundingly rare thing to have happen- BUT as you said you're going to believe what you believe until proven otherwise, there is no definitive way to prove otherwise (DNA testing is available but not very good) and you're treating the animal you have in the appropriate way for who and what she is. That's about as good an owner as their can be, regardless of the dog's genetic makeup.

I WOULD advise you keep listing her as a bc mix everywhere, and not ADMIT you think she's a coydog to anyone in real life, for any reason, because of legality issues and biases that could lead to serious trouble for you both. Especially ii she is, as you said, quick to bite.


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## frillint (Jul 12, 2009)

I personally don't think she is, but then again most of those dogs on that link don't look anything like one either. She is cute either way and I also agree that you shouldn't mention you think she is a coydog.


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## Selah Cowgirl (Nov 14, 2009)

She really has the skull structure and eye set of a coyote.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

She really looks like a fox, LOL (not possible; foxes and dogs can't interbreed). I think her head looks more dingo-ish than coyote-ish, and some herding breeds do have some dingo background. . .so I don't know. But I do agree that you shouldn't tell anyone in real life what you suspect about her background, just in case.


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## aiw (Jun 16, 2012)

I'm far from an expert... but it looks possible. Either way _don't tell anyone_. It will make her an instant target and in many places that mix is illegal and can be euthanized by the state. Especially if she bites easily its very important that you never know for sure and you never tell anyone what you suspect (especially on paperwork anywhere). She sounds like a handful (in a good way) good luck with her!


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Golly, she is an interesting looking dog! Have any more pictures?


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

Most believable coydog claim I've encountered! I have nothing definite to compare her to, though. She's really pretty.


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## RCloud (Feb 25, 2011)

Coyote crosses happen a lot more then people realize. Charlotte's best friend, Athena, is part Coyote, and last year we came close to adopting a puppy that was the product of a dog/coyote mating, but backed out of it at the last minute. In both cases, the mating was witnessed, so there was absolutely no question about who and what the father was.

With this dog, it's hard to tell, but I'd say it's possible that coyote has been thrown into the mix somewhere in her family history. Regardless, she's gorgeous.


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## Selah Cowgirl (Nov 14, 2009)

RCloud said:


> Coyote crosses happen a lot more then people realize. Charlotte's best friend, Athena, is part Coyote, and last year we came close to adopting a puppy that was the product of a dog/coyote mating, but backed out of it at the last minute. In both cases, the mating was witnessed, so there was absolutely no question about who and what the father was.
> 
> With this dog, it's hard to tell, but I'd say 's possible that coyote has been thrown into the mix somewhere in her family history. Regardless, she's gorgeous.



Just because they tied and mated does not mean that the pup was the product of the coyote, litters can have multiple fathers which is how my childhood GSD/flat coat gave birth to a litter that included border collie looking pups, heeler looking pups, rottie looking pups and one blue merle aussie looking pup.


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## spillina (Mar 12, 2013)

Thanks for the input all! Yes, she can be a handful, but is totally worth everything. Our original though was fox/dog too, until I found out that it can't happen. I'll post some more pictures in a little (when I get the time). She definitely gets comments everywhere we go, and from your advice, I know not to tell people what we think she is. Thanks again for all the compliments and input.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Dogbreedinfo is full of crap, generally -- none of the pics on any page are verified as being of the breed or mix the people claim. It's a bad site full of misinformation on all kinds of dog topics, not just breeds (for example, they still buy into all that "pack leader" stuff that was debunked years ago). Try this page (and note that not only do all of the verified coydogs look quite coyote, as you'd expect from a 50/50 mix, but they have pics of the ones from dogbreedinfo at the bottom as fake coydogs).


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## spillina (Mar 12, 2013)

Thanks for that link crantastic


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## RCloud (Feb 25, 2011)

Selah Cowgirl said:


> Just because they tied and mated does not mean that the pup was the product of the coyote, litters can have multiple fathers which is how my childhood GSD/flat coat gave birth to a litter that included border collie looking pups, heeler looking pups, rottie looking pups and one blue merle aussie looking pup.


There were no other fathers. Both were similar cases where the owners were careless for a split second once and only once with their females in heat. So in these cases, yes, they were the product of a coyote.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

I'm wondering if it's genetically possible for a dog with one coyote parent to have liver pigment and no sabling. All of those verified coydogs on the Wolfdog project page are sable (banded?) and have black pigment. Where are our genetics experts?


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Well, one of those confirmed coydogs seems to be blue...?


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

The second one? It looks like it has a black nose, but it's hard to tell.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Yeah, blue is really iffy in photos...


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

What breed was Athena's mother?


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Crantastic said:


> I'm wondering if it's genetically possible for a dog with one coyote parent to have liver pigment and no sabling. All of those verified coydogs on the Wolfdog project page are sable (banded?) and have black pigment. Where are our genetics experts?


50/50 is not possible. That said (and I somewhat cringe even posting a link)

Coydog x red border collie: http://www.mindstorm.ca/coydog/

Several pups are red and/or marked like a BC.


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## RCloud (Feb 25, 2011)

Crantastic said:


> What breed was Athena's mother?


She was a husky/shepherd mix of some sort.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

The few coydogs I know of that I believe are actually coydogs are behaviorally VERY different than an average dog. Like, different in an obvious and weird way. Genetics are such a freaky weird thing that can produce such a variety of different looking dog mixes that I'm always fairly skeptical of coydog/wolfdog speculation.


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## RCloud (Feb 25, 2011)

As far as Athena's behavior goes, she's very quiet, VERY intelligent, and very shy and leary of strangers. Once she get's to trust you, she's unbelievably sweet. But first she has to trust you. She doesn't bark, she _shrieks_ LOUDLY. It's absolutely not a normal dog noise.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

My husband had a Coyote x German Shepherd. The fellow he got her from had raised a coyote male pup and bred it to his German Shepherd. I wish I had a picture of her but it was before Digital cameras and not even sure I have a picture of her. She just looked like a small black and tan shepherd only a lot finer. Her nature was just like a dog, she was easy to train and really seemed no different than a dog. She was very agile, liked to eat berries and grasshoppers but a lot of dogs do that.


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## momtolabs (May 27, 2012)

By the shape of her ears and body structure I can see it.


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## Spirit_of_Cotons (Jun 21, 2009)

I'm no expert, but I'm going to say yes. Your second photo reminded me very much of a coyote and I actually had to do a double take to make sure I was still seeing a dog. Your dog is very pretty!


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Laurelin said:


> 50/50 is not possible. That said (and I somewhat cringe even posting a link)
> 
> Coydog x red border collie: http://www.mindstorm.ca/coydog/
> 
> Several pups are red and/or marked like a BC.


Okay, so for the liver pigment and whatnot, one parent couldn't be a full coyote, it would have to be a coydog itself?

This dog does have a head shape that looks familiar to me, but I can't quite put my finger on the breed. I hate when that happens!


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## Fade (Feb 24, 2012)

I think Arya is possibly one of the most unique dogs I have ever seen. She is beautiful. I can see some characteristics of coyote in her but it could be just a weird combination of different dog breeds too. To me the shape her of her muzzle. and her ears and tail and eyes look very coyote to me. She is just striking. Your very lucky =-)


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Crantastic said:


> Okay, so for the liver pigment and whatnot, one parent couldn't be a full coyote, it would have to be a coydog itself?
> 
> This dog does have a head shape that looks familiar to me, but I can't quite put my finger on the breed. I hate when that happens!


Shiba Inu?

She could be a coydog, they're not that uncommon in Texas and other states with big coyote populations (and those coyotes are bold! they'll come right up to your house and go through garbage cans left outside.), but . . . her behavior isn't anything outside the norm for dogs. How many people do we get, every day, describing fearful dogs, dogs with low bite threshholds, territorial dogs, etc.?


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## MissCharlotte080812 (Mar 19, 2013)

Oh wow. What a gorgeous creature! In my opinion, I would day with those ears, the eye placement, eye coloring and the tail. These characteristics would lead me to believe that you have yourself a coydog. As for the "quick to bite" comment, please take extra precautions when letting your pretty pup put run all the dogs at the park. Please dont be afraid to speak about your beliefs on your pup, you adopted her from an agency, if there were anything illegal going on you would have known by now! Thinking your dog is a coydog is NOT illegal. Enjoy your beautiful creature!!!!


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

Wow - she looks SO much like a coyote to me. She is gorgeous! And I second the opinion of not telling anyone that you think that's what she is, just so she doesn't become a target for people.


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