Survival Instinct

We have a standard dachshund, Tucker, whose nickname (one of them anyway), is Security System. We live on the back side of a subdivision that’s built out in the desert. We see lots of wildlife around our house. Tucker is sure to alert us to every rabbit, quail, or whatever animal he sees, as well as barking at things like fireworks, which are clearly (in his opinion) encroaching on our private space. It probably goes without saying that he also goes nuts when UPS, FedEx, or USPS shows up.

But when the coyotes yip, he lies very still and very quiet. He’s never actually encountered a coyote, but something deep in his genes must holler, “Danger! Stay still and maybe they won’t see you!”
It’s hard sometimes, though, to take a coyote seriously. A video from our night vision outdoor camera: