Scared to let my dogs out!

According to this website:

http://indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com/how-to-keep-your-pets-safe-from-coyotes-1586728445

(If you don't have time to read the whole thing. I just skimmed myself to be honest) Even just having a large enough dog like your pitt can be a decent (but not sure fire) deterrent. Also, motion sensor lights, sprinklers or sound machines may also help. Your best bet would be to have your yard totally fenced in, going 18 inches under ground so they can't dig under, and with barbed wire or a coyote roller on top.

Edit: forgot to mention the fence needs to be 6 feet tall to be useful.

I would still avoid letting them out at night as much as possible. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or so they say. Good luck.

I have a golden and he's a big baby, I wouldn't let him out without being on a leash.

See I live in the city and my yard is completely fenced in and the majority of it is 6 ft tall. The only part that's short is the part that's right by the neighbors entrance. My pit barks at everything so I usually keep the back door open a Crack and listen for him while I'm in my kitchen but there's so many horror stories going on here about people's animals getting lured by these coyotes. They aren't scared of people this year and it's terrifying. I live right by a coulee too. The coulee is a block away from my house and I have heard they coyotes. Sometimes it sounds like they are right in my alley. I'm not so much scared for my pit but my mini Australian shepherd is too loving and gentle for her own good. She would try to play with a coyote. I have a light in my yard but my yard is really long so I can't see the whole yard at night. Both my dogs are dark colored and I lose them in the yard. If I mention treats they come running but I'm terrified. I'm about to let them out for their last pee of the night. I'm sick so I won't be able to get up at 6 to let them out so they won't be going out til 8 tomorrow morning. Their last pee was 6 pm cause it got dark and I got scared. Ugh.

I don't let my dogs out alone after dark. I don't blame you. We have bears too and I have dachshunds so it would be easy prey for a coyote. If they really need to go out maybe take them on a leash with a flashlight and some pepper spray or something?

I would but both my pups are terrified of leashes. I've tried leash training and since they were pups they dropped to the ground once a leash was put on and wouldn't move.

And I had bear mace once upon a time but my husband removed it from the house when I told him I wanted to kill a spider with it.

I've never heard of a dog being scared of their lead, how odd. Have you tried putting it on them, then leaving them to it as normal? So they can still feel safe indoors, and will know that having their lead on isn't a sign of anything. It just drags around after them.

But anyway, no, I would not be letting my dogs out if there were other animals around that could harm them. They go out several times during the day, and maybe once or twice at night for a last minute pee or poo before bed time.

Yep. I have put my pup leashes on them and let it drag around and my pit will stand all funny and not move and my girl will lay down and not move. I've even tried getting them to come to me when I have treats and they won't move a muscle. My girl is 5 years old and my pit is 2 now. I'm pretty sure my pit learned this behavior from my girl. He wears a collar just fine though but my girl won't. I find this behavior strange as well. My SO had the girl before we got together and we had the pit since a baby. I thought I would be able to break them of this fear. My uncle is a dog trainer and I figured I could do it. Nothing I have tried works. It makes me feel abusive when I bring them to the vet. There's a lot of carrying the dogs involved..

Got a gun?

Gun? No. Airsoft gun? Yes. I just remembered about an hour ago that my husband is into airsofting.

Coyotes tend to hunt in packs like wolves. It's pretty rare to get a loner. To be honest I would get a twenty two. Airsoft would would probably only make it more mad. I'd want to go after it if it went after my dogs. That kind of gun is easy to use and isn't very big. I'm not a big fan myself of gun's but those don't really scare me cause I've worked with them before. Believe me if something like a coyote is trying to harm your dog law enforcement is not going to care if you kill it, especially if there are as many roaming around as what you say.

Our Coyotes are always alone, until you hear them attacking something. They are always wondering by my house, alone. I live on 3 acres with another house and our gates are never closed. I let my girl out at night, but only to where I can hear her. I have a gun on me in case something happens.

When I first moved in here, it was about 11 pm and we were still moving stuff in the house. It was super dark and terrifying already and then I heard a coyote attack another dog and start howling. Next thing you know a whole pack showed up and started going at it too. It was the most terrifying noise I've ever heard. My dog jumped back into the truck and refused to get out.

If you yell at them they take off. I'd stY outside with your dog's while they do their business.

Coyotes do hunt in packs and they will send one to play with the dog while the others sneak up (typically). But you should check laws in your area before shooting with anything. Airsoft guns can be illegal too. The only reason I say this is because before I moved the city had a horrible coyote problem but you were not allowed to harm them because the city found out there was only a problem because people were feeding the coyotes.

What about letting them go in the front yard with the lights on at night ?

I would be okay with that but there's no fence and people in my town don't take kindly to a pitbull that's unrestrained.

Its crazy how well dogs instinct are to defend themselves. Our husky/malamute mix is seriously the biggest baby ever. I saw him in a tussle with a coyote once. He whipped that thing all over the yard. We haven't had one around since. I can hear them howl, but they don't come near the house. I used to be super scared for him (he's an outside farm dog...used to be an inside dog). Now I know full well him and my grandmothers dog can defend themselves. I used to bring a gun out when I heard one. Now I know they're too scared to infiltrate our houses! I would carry a gun out with you though. Honestly if it had to come between my dogs and I or them, I'd chose them every time. That's weird they're not scared of people. Usually coyotes are really scared of people.

I'm in Canada so having a gun in my possession is not really the easiest thing ever. My husband and I are going to get gun licenses to have a small pistol in the house for when baby arrives. But that's for if someone breaks in while my husband is away. I'm a small woman and can't defend myself. We are hoping to never have to resort to using one but we don't live in a good neighborhood at all. I had an attempted break in not too long ago. My husband was here though. I'm are my pit would also help defend my Australian shepherd but Idk. I am very thankful not to have little dogs. They don't really stand a chance when it comes to coyotes. Another thing we have around these areas are coywolves. A nasty mix between a coyote and a wolf. I've seen them only a handful of times but I hear them on a regular basis. They are like huge coyotes on steroids. Much scarier than a coyote alone. I ended up not putting my pups out for their last pee. They are very well house broken. I got up at first sign of day and let them out.

Oh my... Here we have bears one killed a yorkie even. I live n the country part where there was bears before ppl started noticing