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This is generating some fantastic comments on that social site.

I think normally this coyote feeds on feral cats at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve. ;)

The dog owners think it's cute that the two like to play with each other.

After 200+ comments telling them how naive, irresponsible, and stupid they are, the owner responded:
(quote from FB comments)

LOL at all you armchair animal experts who think you know what's going on here. Your outrage is ridiculous. Harvey and I walk these trails often, and we see the coyote every time we go. It's obviously the only coyote on that small acreage of land. If you've ever been, you'd know there's no lack of food for the coyote. Your uninformed, knee-jerk reactions are keeping you from enjoying a simple video of two unlikely friends. If it were a lion cub and a pygmy goat, you'd have shared it already. But, such is the life of an internet cynic.

Video from AZCentral: http://bit.ly/1oBwwkL

That pug is about the sames size as a cat or a rabbit, just give it time.

Probably a young coyote, still a playful puppy. Stranger things have happened. I'm more concerned about the coyote than about the people and their dog, because for the coyote to be so unconcerned when there are humans around is not going to be good for him in the long run.

azbackpackr wrote:I'm more concerned about the coyote than about the people and their dog

+1

I don't know much about coyote behavior, but AZGFD seems to say that this kind of behavior is not unusual (emphasis mine).

http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_coyote.shtml

Coyotes are curious, clever, and adaptable. They quickly learn to take advantage of any newly discovered food source, and are often attracted to yards with abundant fruit and wildlife to eat. Coyotes will eat pet food and knock over unsecured garbage cans, or may walk along the tops of walls around homes in search of unattended dogs and cats to eat. Coyotes may consider large or loud dogs to be a threat to their territory and become aggressive toward those dogs. Coyotes have lured free-roaming dogs away from their owners to attack, and bold coyotes may attack small dogs on retractable leashes.

As with all wild animals, this one might be getting used to being around people. Which is always bad. AZGFD may have to relocate this animal because this dog owner thinks that a coyote is cute, instead of yelling and scaring it away which is the correct behavior to maintain its natural fear of people.

@chumley

AZGFD may have to relocate this animal

Good luck with that Glendale has been fighting relocation of their coyotes for years now...

You lost me at feral cats.

As an avid predator hunter, I say give it time. The pooch will be food soon enough. This is the time of year the pups are kicked out of their den to fend for themselves. Hunting shows, as 2 weeks ago I called in two, the first in under 25 seconds and the second in about 2 min. They are naive right now, and will come to anything they feel is a source of food. Thats it.

chumley wrote:This is generating some fantastic comments on that social site.

I think normally this coyote feeds on feral cats at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve. ;)

The dog owners think it's cute that the two like to play with each other.

After 200+ comments telling them how naive, irresponsible, and stupid they are, the owner responded:
(quote from FB comments)

LOL at all you armchair animal experts who think you know what's going on here. Your outrage is ridiculous. Harvey and I walk these trails often, and we see the coyote every time we go. It's obviously the only coyote on that small acreage of land. If you've ever been, you'd know there's no lack of food for the coyote. Your uninformed, knee-jerk reactions are keeping you from enjoying a simple video of two unlikely friends. If it were a lion cub and a pygmy goat, you'd have shared it already. But, such is the life of an internet cynic.

Video from AZCentral: http://bit.ly/1oBwwkL

The owner is right. That coyote is not worried about food or being hunted in the Preserve, so it has the luxury of being relaxed and playful. Coyotes are also known to get along and mate with dogs at times to produce coy dogs. Although I disagree with his statement of being the only coyote there. There could be another one. People who think animals are only motivated by food should google polar bear vs dog, leopard vs baby baboon, and lion vs baby wilder beast.

Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" is a documentary about a troubled man who figured out that grizzly bears in the wild can be cute and cuddly if you love them the right way... most of the time. And he was right about that too, for 99.9% of the days he frolicked and played with them in Alaska, every summer (based on an assumption of 90 days per summer times 13 summers in a row, thus, 1,170 days.)

On day #1,171, a grizzly ate him for dinner.

This will not end well.

@Sredfield
You're absolutely correct about that and unfortunately the two Canines will pay the Ultimate Price. Dog gets killed by Coyote, Owner complains, and ALL of the Coyotes there will be trapped and killed.

For someone that "knows" that Preserve so well, that Dog Owner doesn't know squat. This Spring there were at least 4 Coyotes there, 2 Adults and 2, possibly 3 Pups. There was a fairly good sized Pup and an Adult Photographed together there last Week. So it's only a matter of Time before that stupid Owner takes her Dog Off-Leash and lets it run up to the wrong Coyote.

All of the Coyotes out there are pretty comfortable around people and are getting pretty used to being Photographed at this Point. There has been some pretty awesome Photographs coming from there of those guys.

Sredfield wrote:This will not end well.

For either the dog or the coyote...

Another thing that bears asking, not having been to the Preserve (I'm afraid of those feral cats, you know ;) ) is having to do with a leash law. Is there not a leash law in that place? And if so, I'd say the owners are flaunting the fact they are breaking that law.

Sredfield wrote:This will not end well

heard a rumor that the coyote was shot
can anyone confirm this?

Is this like a Big Brothers program?
Can I enroll my neighbor's STFUA Chihuahua?

@skatchkins
[-X

There are a million rabbits in the GRP. I know because I hit one or two a week on my mountain bike just passing through. I spook dozens at a time and they run sideways right into the front tire. I'm sure the coyotes are feasting on them.

The coyotes are pretty fearless of people as well, I have narrowly missed several on the bike. They just stand and look at you and barely make the effort to get out of the way. There are plenty of them in the GRP, just be there when a fire truck goes by and you'll hear all of them.

trekkin gecko wrote:heard a rumor that the coyote was shot
can anyone confirm this?

There was a Coyote shot and killed there a couple of weeks ago...I don't think anyone really knows whether it was the Pug Lovin' Coyote in the Video, as there are several out there...Game and Fish and the Town of Gilbert are looking into it, but I doubt if anything will come of it...It's a Shame though...

ALMAL wrote:when a fire truck goes by and you'll hear all of them

Lots of times I've been hiking in Usery Park and experienced the same thing. It's almost unsettling when you find out how close they are (and how many) and you have no idea until they start to howl and yip.