Does Your Hunting Dog Need Coyote-proof Armor?
OutdoorHub Reporters 03.07.16
With reports of coyote populations growing across the country, more and more dog owners are now looking into new ways to protect man’s best friend. Of course, bite collars and other methods of protection are nothing new, but a suit of armor designed for warding off coyotes is drawing some attention. The makers of CoyoteVest say the dog-sized suit of armor is light enough to move around in, but also tough enough to protect against coyotes. Studded with wicked-looking spikes and touting heavy padding, the armor certainly looks the part—but does it do the job?
You can watch a demonstration of the CoyoteVest below:
“The first thing the CoyoteVest does is protect your dog’s neck with twelve 1″ spikes. The spikes are mounted in two rows on a stiff yet flexible triple laminated Kevlar collar. The long collar and formidable array of spikes covers all of your dogs neck and makes it very unlikely that another dog will be able to bite your dog on the back of the neck,” stated CoyoteVest on its website. “The second thing the CoyoteVest does is cover your dog with a stab-resistant layer of Kevlar® body armor that can resist sharp canine teeth. The armor covers the areas of your dog that are at most risk and buys you some time to break up the attack. It will always be up to you, the owner, to stop the attack. If the CoyoteVest has done its job your dog’s vital organs will not have sustained puncture wounds from the attacker’s canine teeth.”
If that does not sound impressive enough, the CoyoteVest also comes with several optional add-ons, including a remote shock strip that instead of giving your dog the electric jolt, is meant to shock any coyote brazen enough to try and snatch the pet away.
However, how does it compare to protective gear already on the market? Kevlar and nylon cut vests already dominate the market in protective gear for dogs, and European hunters, who are wary of wolves, prefer heavily padded collars when hunting near predators. The CoyoteVest also appears to offer little protection against snakes as it is exposed on the underside, whereas most protective cut vests cover the belly and chest as well.
What do you think? Is coyote protection high on your list of priorities, and will this vest be on your shopping list any time soon? Or would you just stick with more conventional gear?
