Help, please! What are these animals?

**Amanda W** · 04-24-2007, 02:47 PM

I feel dumb, but...

This morning I was in the kitchen making my coffee and I saw an animal out of the corner of my eye. I figured the neighbor's dog had just gotten loose, but when I went to the window I saw a pack of five of these things. I was lucky enough to have my digital camera on the kitchen table, so I grabbed a couple pictures from my deck before they ran back into the woods.

What are they? The pictures don't really show it, but they had really short legs. Do coyotes come in black? Are they really hairy wolves? I think foxes are reddish. I did some googling, and it looks like there hasn't been a wolf found alive in Illinois since the 1800s.

If they were dogs, they were incredibley strange looking. Plus I really can't imagine having a pack of wild dogs running around a neighhborhood like ours. Our subdivision is in the country and it's heavily wooded with a lake and campgrounds, but there's about 3000 people out here.

Any ideas?

**Izzy0906** · 04-24-2007, 02:56 PM

I don't know. To be honest, the black ones look like dogs but the other ones (especially in the second picture) look like little goats to me. Um yeah lol

**Amanda W** · 04-24-2007, 02:58 PM

That's exactly what my husband said. Do goats and wild dogs hang out together? It seems so strange.

**Busynut** · 04-24-2007, 03:00 PM

how strange! To me, the black ones look like dogs - they are dogs! hehe But the other ones look like goats on short stubby legs. LOL. In the second photo with only two - the one closest to the camera looks like it has a collar? maybe someone is raising a special breed of goat on a nearby farm?

Let us know if you find out.

**3-boys-4-me** · 04-24-2007, 03:01 PM

I agree. I would say you have a couple of dogs and goats there. I doubt those dogs are wild. They probably belong to someone and just got loose.

**lullaby80** · 04-24-2007, 03:10 PM

Yup, the balck ones look like dogs but the other ones look like miniature goats (I'm not syaing there is such a thing as miniature goats, they just look like them lol). Cute!

**Ceashels** · 04-24-2007, 03:12 PM

I cast my vote the same.... the black ones are dogs and the other ones are goats. The dogs have the shape of a border collie but not the markings. It could be that the goats sneaked away and the herding dogs followed to protect them or bring them back.

**geckoace** · 04-24-2007, 03:15 PM

the little ones are definitely goats....i have also never heard of dogs and goats hangin out but i dont know that much about dogs and goats lol

**cheappearls** · 04-24-2007, 03:16 PM

Looks like a couple dogs and goats. And yes dogs and goats can get along just fine. I once owned 2 goats (to keep the weeds down) and 5 dogs. They would play together. That's a strange sight in the morning though. Haha.

**Izzy0906** · 04-24-2007, 03:22 PM

I guess I'm not nuts after all lol

**Hollyhandi** · 04-24-2007, 03:23 PM

Yes they are dogs and goats.
Some farms have dogs that watch over the sheep or goats.
They propably got out from a farm nearby and the dogs are doing their job guarding them.
Call the aspca or animal control and they should be able to find the owner.
I have goats and dogs

**WigWamChic** · 04-24-2007, 03:37 PM

Yeah i have to say dogs and a goat , but at least one looks like a jumping bunny..who knows , maybe the goat thinks its a dog after bunnies....

I have seen stranger things

**Tracy** · 04-24-2007, 03:39 PM

It looks like dogs and goats to me too. I agree that it probably is some body's farm animals that got out and the dogs just followed to keep track or something. My DH and I once saw a full grown pig and a dog walking on a back road in the country out by my in-laws. The pig got loose and the dog followed. It was one of the strangest things I had ever seen, also one of the days I wished I had a camera!

**Busynut** · 04-24-2007, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by WigWamChic

Yeah i have to say dogs and a goat , but at least one looks like a jumping bunny..who knows , maybe the goat thinks its a dog after bunnies....

ok now I'm cracking up... holding on so I don't fall on the floor.

no offense intended.... I feel like I'm reading the "humor" forum. LOL.

For those of you who have goats... my hub has been threatening to get some goats for years now because he thinks they'll cut down on the lawn work... but my vet says they'll just eat my shrubs and flowers and he'll still have to mow and trim the lawn. What do you say?