I have small dogs and live in the country where we see and hear coyotes frequently. I do have a fenced yard, but do not leave my dogs outside alone especially when it's getting dark. The coyotes here have taken cats, small dogs and chickens. I've had a face down with one smaller coyote where he was just on the outside of the fence staring at my dogs. I stood on my side of the fence with a flashlight in one hand and a loaded .38 in the other. He never moved and I didn't shoot at him. If he had moved, I would not have hesitated to shoot him.