Can an American Bully Kill a Coyote?

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American bullies are energetic and loving, and they’re great for home protection. If you live in an area where coyotes are prevalent, you may wonder if your American bully is capable of killing a coyote should one trespass your property. Also, are coyotes a threat to your bully?

An American bully can kill an adult coyote. American bullies are heavier and more dangerous than coyotes, with a much higher bite force in psi. However, there have been documented coyotes killing American bullies and vice versa. 

Keep reading to learn more in detail about how an American bully stacks up against a coyote and how you can prevent coyote attacks. Let’s also explore how an American bully would fare against larger wild canines. By the end of this article, you’ll better understand an American bully’s capabilities and vulnerabilities. 

An American Bully Can Kill a Coyote

American bullies and coyotes are different in body type and size. As a result, each dog has other advantages in a fight to give them an edge. Check out the table below for a comparison between an American bully and a coyote.

For the sake of this table and article, the American Bully will represent the breed as they are the most significant and fiercest variation of the species. 

Dog Species	American Bully	Coyote
Height	13–20 inch (33–50 cm)	24 inch (60 cm)
Weight	44–132 lb. (20–60 kg)	20–50 lb. (923 kg)
Length	24–27 inch (61–69 cm)	39.6–51.6 inch (100–113 cm)
Bite Force	300 psi	88 psi
Life Expectancy	10–13 years	3–15 years

As you can see in the table above, the American bully has a distinct weight advantage. Their body weight can make a significant difference in fighting as the bully can outmuscle the coyote and inflict more force onto it.

The American bully also has a significantly more powerful bite force. As a result, the damage caused by the bully’s bite will be much more severe than that of a coyote. However, coyotes will bite multiple times quickly, whereas an American bully will bite and hold on when attacking. 

In terms of height, both dogs are similar in size; however, when you compare the length of the animals from nose to tail, the coyote is much longer. The coyote’s extra body length could allow it to get onto the pit bull’s back and do damage to its neck during an altercation. However, American bullies are an explosive and compact breed. That means an American bull could likely throw the coyote off.

The size of the coyote will also have a significant bearing on the incident. A small coyote would likely not stand a chance against a large and aggressive American bully. However, a full-grown coyote severely injured the dog during the fight. 

In truth, a fight between a coyote and an American bully produces no winners as both animals will likely be severely injured and require immediate medical treatment. The likelihood of a battle between a domestic dog and a wild species proving fatal is relatively high and should be avoided at all costs. 

How Can You Protect Your American Bully From Coyote Attacks?

While your American bully might be capable of fending off coyotes on its own, you should still do everything you can to prevent this from happening. Wild animals carry diseases and will produce nasty injuries to your dog if they fight with one another. 

You can protect your American Bull from coyote attacks by doing the following: 

• Don’t leave out food or waste.
• Install a fence around your property.
• Add outdoor lighting.
• Keep the dog on a leash. 
• Make noise if you encounter a coyote.

The best way to protect your dog against coyote attacks is by preventing coyotes from visiting in the first place. Coyotes are attracted to food waste as they’re effective scavengers. In contrast, bright lights and movements will scare away coyotes; therefore, bright outdoor lighting could be a wise investment.

A fence is another great way of protecting your canine companion. However, coyotes are intelligent and can dig beneath fences if they’re not buried deep enough. Another critical point to remember is to keep your dog on a leash when off your property to prevent them from chasing after a coyote when out walking. 

If a coyote does decide to visit your property, make yourself look big and aggressive. Then, you should shout and bang things together to make as much noise as possible. Doing so will frighten the coyote into a likely retreat away from your property. 

What Size Dogs Do Coyotes Usually Attack?

Since a coyote could lose a fight against an American bully, they usually attack dogs of this size and stature? If not, what size dogs are most vulnerable to coyote attacks? 

Lone coyotes usually attack dogs that are roughly 25 lb. (13.15 kg) or smaller because they have a significant size and weight advantage in this situation. However, coyotes have been known to attack and kill large dogs, including American bullies, though these attacks are rare. 

Coyotes will also hunt other small domestic pets like cats on your property. They use their cunning and predatory instincts to track and sneak up on household pets. Coyotes usually quickly and easily overpower smaller animals. 

These wild dogs can also hunt in packs at times. As with all dogs, when hunting in groups, they can target larger prey, including larger species of dogs. Because coyotes have been known to kill American bullies, you should always ensure your properties are safe from coyotes.

Do Coyote Packs Attack Large Dogs? 

Coyote packs do attack large dogs. Typically, two or three alpha coyotes are involved in these attacks in groups. Coyotes can quickly kill larger domestic dogs. Some coyotes have been known to attack large dogs when alone, although they usually feel threatened.

Coyotes usually target smaller animals as it’s less of a risk for them to take them down. However, wild animals are often fueled by hunger and desperation, leading them to take drastic risks in pursuing a meal. That’s why taking the necessary precautions to keep coyotes away from your dogs is vital in protecting your beloved canines.

Could an American Bully Kill a Timber Wolf? 

Now that you know how an American bully would fare against a coyote, it’s time to have a look at the more significant, meaner alternative, the wolf. Wolves vary greatly depending on the species, so I’ll compare the XL American bully with a timberwolf for this comparison. 

An American bully could not kill a timberwolf. A timberwolf is significantly more robust, faster, more intelligent, and vicious than an American bully. Therefore a fight between the two animals would likely be over quick, with the timberwolf coming out on top pretty much every time. 

Although smaller wolves such as the European wolf may not be as dominant in a fight against an American bully, they will still likely be the victor. Even XL bullies stand little chance against wild wolves due to their ferocity and killer instincts, accompanied by impressive size. Therefore, you should keep your American bully well away from wild dogs, particularly wolves. 

Conclusion 

A full-grown American bully would likely beat a full-grown wild coyote in a fight. The American bully is more robust, heavier, and has a much stronger bite. However, there have been cases of coyotes killing American bullies in the past. On top of this, even if your American bully killed the coyote, they would still likely sustain some injuries. 

The best way of protecting your dog against coyote attacks is by preventing them from happening in the first place. However, if your dog does get into an altercation with a coyote, make loud noises to scare off the animal.