How to Protect Your Dog at Home
There’s nothing like enjoying the outdoors with your pet. Many of us love enjoying walks, games of fetch, and even just basking in the sun or enjoying the snow with our pooches. As with everything concerning your pet, though, their safety is always the most important thing, especially when it comes to the unknown outdoors. Are you aware that predators can even be in your own neighborhood? Coyotes are among some of the most common sneaky predators around that could seriously harm your dog. While that may frighten you, there are also easy ways to make yourself, your pooch, and your property less attractive to coyotes. Here are a few safety tips for protecting your pet from nearby coyotes.
- Do not feed your dog outside. Leaving food outside is dangerous. This is especially true when it comes to dishes your dog might eat or drink from. Always feed your pooch inside and supervise any time your dog has a treat outside even if he is in what you presume is your safely fenced-in yard. Pick up any bowls that you may provide for water on hot days or any bones your pup may drag into the yard before you and your furry friend go inside.
- Secure all outgoing trash. Clean up loose garbage and safely secure trash to be removed so you don’t attract unwanted scavengers. You may be tempted to leave your recycle bin open on your curb. The scent of food can attract coyotes and when you leave it out again and again, they will mark your house as a common spot for free scraps. You can prevent this by making it difficult for these wild animals to access your garbage. Simply safeguarding your items in sealed containers or even merely placing objects designed to be lifted, unsnapped, or unlocked by human hands should be a good deterrent.
- Supervise pets in your yard. Small dogs can be seen as prey and targeted by coyotes. Even if your dog is a large breed, coyotes can still be a threat, though. Coyotes may not be as aggressive towards these big dogs but can still attack if they feel provoked, are scared or if your dog is weak or is seen with a weaker species such as your dog walker. If you want your pup to spend playtime in your yard, just be sure to always keep him carefully supervised to avoid incidents. Your dog walking service should also require your dog walker or sitter to do the same to keep your furry friend safe while you are away.
- Always use a leash on long walks. When you take your dog out on the town or to the park, keep him on a leash. This is true even if you aren’t the one taking your dog out. Make sure your dog walker knows our leash rule. Provide a sturdy leash to your dog walking service for their walkers to use when they take your dog out. One of the best ways to avoid coyote attacks is by keeping your dog secured on a leash during walks and to ensure that your dog does not slip away easily and run off into danger.
As a responsible pet owner, you should also be sure to keep your dog walking service informed of any potential coyote threat in your area. As they are professionals, they will most likely already be aware, but if you have had any personal sighting near your home, you should always let the person spending time with your pooch while you’re away understand your concerns.
Following these guidelines can keep you and your pet from falling victim to an unnecessary coyote attack. For more safety tips regarding wild predators and your dog, click here. Your dog is an important part of your life, so rest assured knowing that you’re doing everything you can to protect it!