WalkaboutTed
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2016
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Ya know, sometimes ignorance is bliss. So yesterday, we were at Blake's Lotaburger, sitting outside with our new puppy. We were talking to one of the guys working there. We hadn't mentioned our camping van plans. He then said "She looks like my mom's puppy who came to a bad end". "They were camping and my mom was standing there with her puppy about the size of yours. She was off the leash because she never strayed more than a few feet. A hawk flew down, grabbed the puppy and then they never saw her again"
Then he went on "She's had really bad luck with dogs, so she'll never get another one", "After that, they got a cocker spaniel. One day there was a coyote on the other side of the front fence and the dog was going crazy at him. She didn't see the two coyotes sneaking up from behind". He didn't go on, but we got the message.
We're in Tucson, Arizona and we hear coyotes all the time. We've always had big dogs, they were outside during the day, but crated at night and when we were away. We lived in a town 20 miles north of Phoenix (New River). People who had cats and kittens would lose them (to hawks?). We had big dogs up there and never worried about them, even though coyotes would walk down the street in pairs, in daylight.
Now I have a little dog to fit in the van better. I only have a small area for a crate and I had to find a dog to fit. My puppy's mother is 15 lbs and the father (we think he is), is about 20 lbs. The dog will never be off a leash. But after hearing that and reading Bob Wells' story about the pack hunting coyotes up by Flag, I'm fearful of taking Lucy for walks any distance. I made the mistake of reading in Wikipedia about the accounts of coyotes attacking pets, children and even adults. There are a lot of them. And reading about birds of prey, I guess any pet up to about 20lbs is fair game. After talking with that kid and reading I'm saying to myself, "Oh, shit, man!, My Baby!"
How are those of you who have small dogs handling going for walks when "out there"?
Thanks,
Ted
Then he went on "She's had really bad luck with dogs, so she'll never get another one", "After that, they got a cocker spaniel. One day there was a coyote on the other side of the front fence and the dog was going crazy at him. She didn't see the two coyotes sneaking up from behind". He didn't go on, but we got the message.
We're in Tucson, Arizona and we hear coyotes all the time. We've always had big dogs, they were outside during the day, but crated at night and when we were away. We lived in a town 20 miles north of Phoenix (New River). People who had cats and kittens would lose them (to hawks?). We had big dogs up there and never worried about them, even though coyotes would walk down the street in pairs, in daylight.
Now I have a little dog to fit in the van better. I only have a small area for a crate and I had to find a dog to fit. My puppy's mother is 15 lbs and the father (we think he is), is about 20 lbs. The dog will never be off a leash. But after hearing that and reading Bob Wells' story about the pack hunting coyotes up by Flag, I'm fearful of taking Lucy for walks any distance. I made the mistake of reading in Wikipedia about the accounts of coyotes attacking pets, children and even adults. There are a lot of them. And reading about birds of prey, I guess any pet up to about 20lbs is fair game. After talking with that kid and reading I'm saying to myself, "Oh, shit, man!, My Baby!"
How are those of you who have small dogs handling going for walks when "out there"?
Thanks,
Ted
