Every so often, I will come across a listing that I might apply for. The listing is well written. The photos look great! The dogs sound wonderful! And then I get to the part that says, “It is not unusual to see bears or coyotes”. Not unusual? It is one thing to see wild animals in an animal sanctuary, it is quite another to see them out while walking dogs.
On walks, keeping dogs and myself safe is always at the uppermost of my mind. I was once on a sit up in the North Carolina mountains and a neighbor had commented that there were bears in the area. Fortunately, I never saw any (while out on walks with the dog), nor have I ever encountered a bear, coyote, or other type of wild animal. I imagine It could be unnerving, particularly, if walking a reactive dog.
While out walking dogs, has anyone ever encountered a bear, coyote, or any other type of wild animal?
I ended up in a ditch full of brambles after encountering a deer whilst riding a very dodgy old bicycle with a Weimaraner on her lead attached to the handlebars. Enough said. Some lessons are learnt the hard way!
I have only got as far as asking the HO about it. It was in Anchorage and the dog was a German shepherd. I asked if he was reactive and if there were wildlife encounters during walks. The answer was encounters with moose and bears were not rare and although the dog was not usually reactive, things changed when wildlife or horses were involved. There were horses in their street, too. So I said I was not the right person for the sit.
I didn’t apply for any dog sits in the area. and I’m glad I didn’t. I’m now sitting three wonderful cats and I often see people walking their dogs, carrying bear spray. I am not prepared for that. It’s bad enough being on my own near bushy areas, which are everywhere in the city.
Coyotes are fairly common in my US city. They won’t normally approach humans or larger dogs. They definitely prey on outdoor cats and small dogs are also at risk. I’ve never seen a coyote while walking a dog, but found this article on how to deal with them: Keep Your Dog Safe From Coyotes | Preventive Vet…
Fortunately, you asked the right questions to avoid a sit with wildlife encounters that could have been stressful while dog walking. Walking dogs should be enjoyable—A person should not have to be constantly on guard and on the lookout for wild animals while dog walking.
It sounds like bears are common where you are if people are carrying bear spray while walking their dogs.
Have you seen any bears since you have been there?
When I did a dog sit in Arizona, the HO mentioned that coyotes and bobcats sometimes frequented her backyard after I arrived for the sit. She said it like it was no big deal, but had I known prior, I would have passed on the sit.
I did not see any coyotes, but one day I was inside with the dog and he started barking. I looked outside and there were three bobcats in the backyard just strolling along.
Thankfully, I did not have any encounters with them while I was taking the dog for walks.
Those I could handle and would be careful. But spiders and snakes - no way. I had wanted to travel to Australia when I was younger, but then after the internet started showing videos online of the giant spiders people found in their homes and cars? Nope. Definitely not. When it comes to spiders, I’m a chicken.
Our recent suburban homes have backed to woods, which we love. We’ve routinely seen deer and foxes. Our dog chased a mole across our swimming pool cover and I had to drag him away. He also cornered a snake, which my husband saw in time and yanked him back from.
At our current primary home, we’ve seen coyotes, deer, rabbits, squirrels and snakes. Plus, there are many ducks, geese and other birds at the lake across from us.
We never leave our dog alone outdoors — to protect him from coyotes and to protect other wildlife from him. When we walk about our neighborhood, we always do it with our dog on a leash. We have bear spray, in case of dangerous encounters with wildlife, but we’ve not had such. Knock wood. We also carry a big flashlight at night.
Most recent close-up deer and coyote, in our backyard:
I’ve done a couple os sits in Arizona where I frequently saw coyotes while out walking the dogs, especially early mornings. TBH I never felt threatened by them but I do always carry a whistle in my backpack which I know will scare them away.
At another sit in Eagle Rock, California, a small dog had been taken by a coyote and I was asked by the HO to ensure (understandably) that their 3 cats were in by 2pm at the latest.
They are wild animals often trying to survive in areas encroached by humans who have decimated their natural prey by building houses etc. Life is hard for them. My view is that we all have to try to find a way to live together.
I’ve been lucky not to. I was thinking of taking an excursion to see them feeding on salmon from a boat but then I googled bear attacks on boats and I changed my mind. It seems they’re also good swimmers.
Wow, it sounds like you have your own animal sanctuary with such a variety of animals. And with some animals (like fox / deer), they are more afraid of people than people are of them. They can take off running if people get too close to them.
Great photos! That picture of the deer is truly the epitome of “deer in headlight”
If you search for videos of Australian spiders in cars and homes, you’ll be in for a surprise. Some are the size of an adult hand. It looks like a beautiful country, but I would worry about encountering them while I’m there.
I am just wondering…How do coyotes end up in areas such as a person’s yard, on the street, or in a person’s neighborhood—which is out of their natural habitat? If a person is walking his/her dog and is approached by a coyote, certainly it will make a person think about their presence a bit more.
How do you find a way to live with a coyote that has taken or killed a beloved pet?
