“(Once) guardian dogs establish an equilibrium, ranchers are well advised not to upset it. Killing a coyote that’s not preying on livestock will create a vacuum, which might be filled by one that’s unfamiliar with the local order—and thus inclined to look on livestock as food.”
Chris Pomorski, When Coyotes Threatened Livestock on Central Texas Ranches, the Solution Was to Unlock an Ancient Ability in Dogs, Smithsonian Magazine
I used to think these guard dogs worked as an attack force, but they’re more of a deterrent most of the time. Violence is rare, apparently. The coyotes don’t understand the concept of property – but they understand pack hierarchy and territorial behavior.
One of my kids is afraid of dogs. I always tell him: ‘You usually don’t have to be scared, as long as you know how to behave around dogs. Don’t make sudden movements, and let him smell you.’
Just his luck: during a walk in the woods the other week we emerged from a behind a little hill, and scared a fairly small, black dog. It immediately started barking quite aggressively. My kid was scared out of his wits. The dog didn’t do anything wrong, though: it was being a totally normal dog. It’s just that we tend to misunderstand, or rather underestimate the otherness of animals.