My wife was walking our dog (off-leash) in a large overgrown lot in suburbia as she does every day. Our large dog took off running, and she figured he saw a rabbit or something. But then a coyote ran out of the brush - away from our dog. Luckily the coyote was faster than our dog. I think our large, but gentle, dog would have lost.
About 15 years ago, I opened our patio door one dark night, with my two Belgian Malinois behind me, ready to let them out before bed.
Lierally 3 feet away from me was a very large coyote heading straight for the steps up to my small deck.
My male Malinois almost upset me as he bolted past, with the female hot on his heels, doing “back-up” duty. They chased him off promptly.
I do not want to think about what would have happened if it had been now, with me letting out my little 10 pound Havanese. I now am in “senior living”, and can only have a small dog, but do walk him at night, just before bed. I am in the suburbs, but this story makes me wish I were allowed to “carry”.