I love this photo: here is a coyote totally enchanted with a game of “go get the pine cone” between an owner and his dog. Look at that supple torso! The great body language and facial expressiveness convey everything. The coyote spent several minutes observing — mesmerized — riveted on the activity on the path ahead.
What was the coyote picking up on as he watched? Was it the fun involved? That there was a strong human/dog relationship? That the dog liked “getting” the pine cone? That the owner liked “getting rid” of the pine cone? Why was that pine cone so important and so much fun? Why wasn’t the dog interested in chasing the coyote? Why was the dog not paying one bit of attention to the coyote? Why wasn’t the man paying any attention?
I can answer for the man and the dog. They have seen the coyote before, so it was no novelty. And as for the dog, playing pine cone was the highlight of her day — why interrupt the fun for an old coyote?
Coyote Yipps 
Jul 25, 2012 @ 06:41:18
This is just lovely! Your blog is a wonderful peek into the Secret Lives of Coyotes.
Jul 25, 2012 @ 21:22:49
Thank you! This is what I was hoping!
Jul 26, 2012 @ 18:33:16
This is a children’s book! You could call it, “Old Coyote and the Pine Cone!” With the knowledge you have of the inner workings of coyotes, it’d be a best seller.
Jul 27, 2012 @ 20:08:15
Maybe part of the fascination for the coyote is in seeing a human actually doing something for a dog instead of the other way around! Usually dogs are the ones leading humans around, defending them, and clearing the way.