01/20/2026
🐺 Coyote Watch Canada – Canid Mythbusters
❌ Myth: Ontario has coyotes and coywolves
✅ Fact: Ontario is home to the Eastern Coyote. “Coywolf” is simply a nickname reflecting shared ancestry from over 100 years ago.
❌ Myth: Coyotes lure dogs
✅ Fact: Coyotes do not lure dogs. If a free-roaming dog chases a coyote, the coyote may retreat toward family members for safety. If the dog continues, coyotes may defend themselves and their family.
❌ Myth: Coyotes abandon their pups
✅ Fact: Coyotes mate for life and co-parent their young. They are attentive and protective parents.
❌ Myth: Yipping means a coyote has killed something
✅ Fact: Yipping and howling are for communication, not announcing food.
❌ Myth: Coyotes stalk people
✅ Fact: Coyotes may es**rt or observe people near denning areas to ensure their family stays safe. This is protective behaviour, not stalking.
🚫 Feeding coyotes & other wildlife may cause unsafe interactions
🐺 Canid Mythbusters: Family, Facts & Coexistence
Coyotes are highly social, family-oriented canids. They mate for life, co-parent their pups, and are protective of one another, their young and their food sources. Many common myths including the idea that coyotes “lure” dogs are misunderstandings of normal family defense behaviour.
When a free-roaming dog is allowed to chase a coyote, the coyote may retreat toward family members for safety. If pursuit continues, coyotes may defend themselves or their family. This is protective behaviour, not aggression or deception.
It’s important to remember that responsible pet guardianship is not seasonal. While coyotes experience natural life-cycle milestones, our responsibility to supervise pets does not change by calendar month. Mating season is another aspect of their life cycle.
🦮Responsible pet guardianship means:
• Keeping dogs on leash
• Supervising pets outdoors
• Keeping cats indoors
• Removing food attractants
• Actively *hazing coyotes when situation warrants
These practices should be followed 365 days a year, regardless of milestones such as mating season, or pup rearing. Sensational social media posts and media headlines that mislead the public require rigorous scrutiny and critical thinking to navigate the (mis)disinformation promoted. Don't fall for clickbait content.
💚 Knowledge reduces fear.
🌿 Prevention supports coexistence.
🚫 Never feed wildlife.
*Aversion conditioning or humane hazing = are non-lethal techniques that help people cue to a canid to move away. To learn more visit our website Coyote Watch Canada .com
Creative- S.P.
