Growing up in the Sonoran Desert, the coyotes we'd see were always small and spindly and skittish.
Years later I remember hearing a TV news reporter from Baltimore reporting seeing a coyote. He said the thing was so big with this massive chest.
In Washington State, we would see some. Pretty small, really. One day, though, I got to watch a male coyote sneak out of the woods behind our house and sneak apples from underneath our trees. This coyote was lifting his leg and marking too. My male Doberman stalked toward him, but then laid down – not in submission – just calmly laid and watched the guy from a distance. Really, I think the reason is my boy was never exactly sure where the underground fence was in that area, and he gave it plenty of room.
So he stayed where he was safe from the fence and just observed. Surprised he didn't even bark though. I guess it's possible my boy knew from the pee scent that that wild animal would probably kick his butt. I don't know. Just one theory. That Dobe was a tough cookie and really knew how to bite, but he was no wild animal.