Len Hackl, Lake County’s chief animal warden, said Spring  is pup-rearing season, a time when coyotes raise their litters. With a few extra mouths to feed, the animals might be a little more willing to get up close and personal. The coyote might also have felt threatened by the terrier, he said, adding the department fields four to five calls per year of this nature.

Coyotes resemble a small German shepherd. Their diet primarily consists of small animals such as rabbits and mice, and it prefers semi-open country. The coyote is most active from dusk until early morning.

State officials say the coyote population has been somewhat stable in the past decade. However, sightings and interactions between humans and coyotes have increased.

"I think we’ve seen over the course of the last 20 years or so, some adaptations in coyote behavior where they’re more comfortable being around people," said Bob Bluett, an Illinois Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist. "The truth is, there are people walking within yards of coyotes on a daily basis and they don’t even know it."