Since I’m a early riser, I take our Cane Corso Mastiff outside around 1–2 a.m. About two weeks ago, a group of coyotes were yipping and barking over the hill behind our neighbors’ house. Without seeing them, there’s no way to know the actual number of coyotes. A pack of four communicating with their high-pitched squeals sounds like there might be a dozen. These were a good distance from the house and Titan’s ears rose as he listened. He was curious about the sound of their cries.
Two nights ago, around 1 a.m., I took him outside and walked him to the edge of our yard. A neighbor’s dog barked incessantly on the street below ours. Normally, no dogs are barking, as we live in town and it violates the noise ordinance.
This was also one of Titan’s stubborn nights where there was no mistake he had to relieve himself, but he wanted to delay the process for as long as possible. Never mind that he was the one to stand at the door and give his little ‘I need to take a dump’ growls, he decided to not go. Instead, he delicately paced back and forth, constantly sniffing the ground, and a couple of times, he initiated the ‘fake-out’ where he took the pose and then, he changed his mind. For those of you with dogs, you understand. There’s an artwork to when and where a dog will poop, or at least, that’s what he wants me to think. Right at the instant I thought, “Finally”, he returned to pacing.
After twenty-five minutes of waiting, still nothing. I frowned at Titan and he gave me his defiant look. Basically, “What are you going to do about it, buddy?”
At wit’s end and grumbling, I warned he’d go back to bed if he didn’t do his business. A second later, several loud barks came from the edge of the woods, not even ten yards away from where we stood in the yard. Hiding in the shadows of the tree was at least one coyote. It gave a second series of barks. My guess, alerting others in the pack of where we were.
Titan looked me in the eyes with a bit of curiosity, and I led him to our front door. At the door, his gaze wasn’t one of fright, but more of asking what he should do. Cane Corsos were once used to hunt and kill bears. Their jaw grip is nearly three times that of a pit bull. He stood as if awaiting orders. I opened the door and took him inside.
The next night when I took him out, I carried a titanium snake hook for protection should the coyotes be near. They weren’t, and so far, we’ve not heard them again. But Titan stares into those trees each night we go out. His hearing is usually keen, so I’m not sure how the one had snuck so closely to us a few nights ago. Since he had allowed it so close without us noticing, he acts as though he won’t be surprised like that a second time.
Until next time …
