Foxes and your dog

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LBF

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Bit of a strange one really, my dog has access to our enclosed garden 24/7 via a cat flap. (If he is left on his own the cat flap is locked)
Would you be worried about encounters with foxes?
As you can probably guess he is quite small, about 6kg.
I know that it's the time of year and the dog foxes are out looking for easy prey but I keep seeing them in the garden looking very relaxed!! I know my boy would chase them, it's just a case of will they run!
For the time being I have locked flap and I'm escorting him to the toilet and will buy some more chicken wire to try and deter them!

Thanks in advance
 
I would be concerned as a good friend sadly lost her cat to a large dog fox. She said she would never have believed it if she hadn't actually seen it for herself.

I am not worried about my dogs, but then I have 3 bouncy strong staffords and they are currently doing an excellent job of scaring away Mr Fox when he tries to pay a visit to my neighbours chickens. We now all know that when my 3 go bananas and leg it down to the bottom of the garden, its time for next door to go out and check!
 
Pee around your fences - human pee can help deter them. People pee around hen houses for that very reason. You can collect it in a bottle for discreet sprinkling, although IME many blokes seem to take a great deal of pleasure from doing this sort of scent marking:D Maybe you could host a peeing party?
 
If a fox can get under or through a fence a 6kg. dog can probably escape.
Foxes can kill dogs and they are disease carriers. Mange, Parvovirus & distemper among others are transmitted by foxes.
 
s4sugar said:
If a fox can get under or through a fence a 6kg. dog can probably escape.
Foxes can kill dogs and they are disease carriers. Mange, Parvovirus & distemper among others are transmitted by foxes.
Click to expand...

I agree with this ^^^

Mine is medium sized and foxes run from him, but I wouldn't want him in contact with them because of diseases.

I also agree with the fact that if a fox can get in, your dog can get out.
 
When I was a child a fox came through our dog flap into the kitchen. The commotion woke my dad and he went downstairs to find the fox had cornered our elderly yorkie and the labrador was in between them.

I can't let my lurcher out at night because he catches foxes (by the tail :rolleyes:) and I don't want him to get bitten.
 
I would be concerned about the risk of disease, and with a small dog there is always the chance a fox would attack it. We have foxes in the wood adjoining the garden and every night my 2 GSDs go mad at the fence but I am confident a fox would keep away from them.
 
My dogs watch the foxes in the garden and hates them, the Dobes would kill a fox given the opportunity. Pip our Lancashire Heeler would also go on the attack. At the moment we are trying to catch a very large rat who is stealing the bird food, trouble its right by a hedge down into the road. So Im moving the bird food a little bit each day until I can unleash Darcy who has watched this rat and it has her name on it. My only problem is to stop her eating it after she has killed it.:(
 
Thank you for your fab replies!
I have also been doing a little research online and it does seem that although rare attacks do happen (more often dog attacks on foxes I suppose!!)

Pee around your fences - human pee can help deter them. People pee around hen houses for that very reason. You can collect it in a bottle for discreet sprinkling, although IME many blokes seem to take a great deal of pleasure from doing this sort of scent marking Maybe you could host a peeing party?
Click to expand...

Ha ha! I never knew that, how interesting! I know a few who would be more than happy to oblige ;)

If a fox can get under or through a fence a 6kg. dog can probably escape.
Foxes can kill dogs and they are disease carriers. Mange, Parvovirus & distemper among others are transmitted by foxes.
Click to expand...

I agree with this ^^^

Mine is medium sized and foxes run from him, but I wouldn't want him in contact with them because of diseases.

I also agree with the fact that if a fox can get in, your dog can get out.
Click to expand...

The foxes don't go under or through they go over! A flint wall which is 5ft, Pepe can jump - but nowhere near that height.
Thanks for the info about parvo/distemper and mange, people are always aware about the mange but not so much about the other diseases carried.

When I was a child a fox came through our dog flap into the kitchen. The commotion woke my dad and he went downstairs to find the fox had cornered our elderly yorkie and the labrador was in between them.

I can't let my lurcher out at night because he catches foxes (by the tail ) and I don't want him to get bitten.
Click to expand...

:eek::eek: How scary!

I am pleased that my concerns are justified, now to improve security ;)
Enjoy below photos!!

Pepe practising being vicious
pwall2_zpsaa66dc8e.jpg


And proof we have had some sunshine this year!
pwall_zps81b782e6.jpg
 
I've often looked out of our window in the early hours and seen a fox playing with the dog toys in the garden! I'm pretty sure mine would run away from a fox if they found themselves confronted with one. They're a wimpy lot!
 
Our dogs have always chased foxes if they've been hanging around the yard. Familys dogs are jrts one is 5 kg one is 10 but they make a lot of noise so never get anywhere near.
My dog is a jrt x and bigger at 15 kg and whilst doing the horses at the yard on my own ( so only my dog there) he was in the paddock playing with a young fox.
Wasn'timpressed as i know they carry disease but was supprised as he squeaks rats and rabbits ( tried to munch a squirrel once but had it by its tail and it bit his nose)
Could only think it was because it was a young fox or that my dog is very foxy looking
 
Years ago I lived in a cottage on the edge of the common . I didn't realise that a fox used to sleep on my compost heap and early one morning at stupid o'clock I was in the garden with the dogs while they had their morning relief break . Out of the corner of my eye I saw this ginger missile launch at my terrorist ( he was pretty steady in weight his whole life at 10.5 kilos) who was in mid leg cock . I thought it was a cat to start with as it was small but it picked the dog up and when I screamed and ran at it threw him around ten feet . I couldn't believe it and would be wary with any small to mid size dog now. I had a beardie cross years ago who would always take great delight in fighting any fox he came across , areal pain he was .
 
My last Border Terrier killed foxes for fun. One day he just came to the back door with a tail :o

Current Border would give it a good go, I only worry about diseases foxes carry - I dont think they are stupid enough to take on a terrorist.

Both terriers were / are 8kg
 
My collie x german shepherd given a chance would prob kill a fox and shes been very close to when she got hold of one when it tried to get our chickens but it managed to escape.
 
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