When I say "ferocity, quickness, and wild, fight-to-the-death instinct" I don't mean that the coyote is not scared and will probably run away. Actually, I remember as a child in AZ having our smallish mixed breed dog run off a coyote from our yard. As I said, all of them I saw in AZ were small and skittish.Maybe that depends on location too. Coyotes down in AZ where my mom lives aren't very fearful of humans and often snatch and kill small dogs. Around here (Illinois & Wisconsin) and in Iowa where I grew up, coyotes run away at the sight of a person.
We've run across a couple when hiking. One time 3 or 4 deer crossed our path about 500 yds away ... followed by a coyote. Drogon kind of froze and went into a crouch (As if he could sneak up on them from 500 yds away lol). I reached down and put him back on lead but didn't give any correction as I wanted to see what he was going to do. He stood up as if he was trying to get a better look. The coyote noticed us and stopped chasing the deer and looked directly at Drogon and/or me long distance. The coyote let out a little "yip". Drogon let out big bark and the coyote took off back the way he came. He kept running further, stopping and looking back, then running again. He certainly seemed concerned that Drogon might be following him.
What I mean, though, is that if a coyote did engage in a fight with a domestic dog I put my money on the wild animal. Seems to me they just go mano and don't quit. We may think, and have seen signs that, our Dobermans are pretty ferocious fighters; but I would think as domestic dogs – bred by mankind and facing no real danger their whole lives – as opposed to wild canines – where it's survival of the fittest and kill or be killed – our Dobes have a lower breaking point and more quit in them.
I could be wrong of course. Just fun to talk about.