Tags
anxiety, CoyoteVest, gear, review, safety, trail walks, woods, Zora
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It’s Vampire Corgi!
Zora standing in a yellow vest with spikes down the back and around the collar
Ok no not really, just Zora in her new CoyoteVest.
Over the past few weeks I’ve heard report after report within 20mile radius of small dogs being attacked by coyotes. One image of a large tomcat in a Coyotes jaws in the middle of a very urban area really scared the crap out of me. Then about 2wks ago when a client was dropping her dog off for the weekend she mentioned how just days earlier her next door neighbor’s dog was attacked and bit by a coyote in the middle of the day in their BACK YARD!! And my anxiety went into overdrive. I’ve seen their neighbor’s dog before, it’s not that small! It’s a dog about Zora’s size. And that’s less than 10miles from where I live. Often if I’m walking early early in the morning, there will be 1-2 coyotes in my across the street neighbor’s cow field. Yes I live in the middle of suburbia in a town 20 miles outside of Boston and my neighbor has 3 head of cattle, on main street. It’s lovely. But my point is I’m not in the rural middle of no where. This is a fairly densely populated suburban area.
We walk in the woods multiple times a week. Zora is most often off lead. While she usually stays within a 50′ or less radius of me, she will go off the trail into the woods to sniff and muck about. I could keep her on leash, but that would seriously reduce her enjoyment of the walks and it’s all a balancing of factors. Pros and Cons.
So I finally caved and we got her a Coyote Vest. If anything to just assuage my anxiety somewhat. One of my friends who I walk with after she heard the panic in my voice as I called Zora last week, said straight up, “Katrin, get her the vest. You will be less stressed. It’s worth it. Order it today.” So I took her advice, and Zora is now the rather annoyed wearer of a bright yellow punk rocker meets vampire CoyoteVest.
Zora standing in her yellow spiked Coyote Vest looking rather annoyed
The vest material is supposedly stab resistant Kevlar fabric. The spikes are all attached via velcro. The spikes are rather flexible at their base and not sharp, so I think if a dog bumped into Zora while they were all running around it wouldn’t be injured, but if something went to actually grab her I think the spikes would make it hard to actually grip and bite her.
I figure any coyote in their right mind won’t know what to make of this weird looking creature and stay far far away. Here’s hoping anyway!
maplewoodblog 
Oh gosh! Coyotes? Attacking dogs? Aaaaaaaaah! I would get the vest too. Actually I feel like getting one just because of our neighbor’s dog. He is, believe it or not, pretty wary of Molly, just because of the way Molly is; she holds herself with confidence and she isn’t going to put up with any crap. She’s also 55 lbs. But sweet, submissive, naive little 30 lb Brèagha, who thinks all dogs love her even if they are basically attacking her? No, she never EVER goes out by herself, always with me. She is a really easy target for the big bully.
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Stupid bully neighbor’s dog 😦 Poor Breagha. I think the company currently only makes vests for smaller dogs, like Zora’s size or smaller, but I think I saw mention they are in the process of designing ones for larger dogs because people have been asking about them. So if you’re interested I would encourage you to contact the company and ask them the status of the vests for dogs larger than a jack russell terrier or small corgi.
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Yeah, Brèagha is a pacifist like me. 😉 Even with a vest though, I would still go out with her, just because I’m a big worrier when it comes to my dog.
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Absolutely, my guys are never outside unattended. I’m way too paranoid!
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Oh, I was gonna say, I think its really cool it has the collar part. If there’s one place I don’t want my dog bitten, it’s the throat. Did you ever read Following Atticus? Ooooh gosh, that one chapter…
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I never read the book, I used to read his blog and such long before the book was written though. Shall have to look into the book. Thanks!
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Years ago we lost a large cat to coyotes and they are very closeby here, too. I love the idea of this vest. Zora is one tough cookie now…no one messes with Zora!
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I saw a coyote in Newton Center last week. People see them all the time but this was the first time I’d see one. Finn was silent and alert. We stared at each other.
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Yikes!!! I think the photo of the coyote with cat in its jaws was from newton (maybe Needham I can’t remember). Stay safe out there you and Finn!
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