Photographs by Mark ; Steve Byland / Adobe stock The coydog nickname lingers because hybridization with other canines (both wild and domestic) is an important part of the coyote’s natural history.

While they can exhibit threatening behaviors, those behaviors are rooted in their wild ancestry rather than any malicious ...

A coydog is a coyote and domestic dog hybrid ... Rare interbreeding occurs in the wild where the coyote’s range expands and other coyotes are scarce, but it is a difficult hybrid.

“It should be much more afraid if it is a pure, wild coyote,” Evelsizer says ... the two species do not form pair bonds. However, coydog pups that do survive are fertile and can breed.