Fox in area...Help.
My dogs are always with me when outside in the yard. We have about an acrea of property, not many trees but shrubs along the perimeter. Should I be concerned about the fox lurking about???? Is there anything you put down to keep them away? |
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| ha, fuggetaboudit. now, if you had chickens, then you have a serious problem. i have 3 dens nearby, other than leaving a pup tied out alone, foxes aren't a threat to sheepies.  |
| We have a fair number of foxes in my neighborhood and I often see them zipping past down the street or in the alley. I walk the dogs the other way when I see them but and I would not leave the dog outside unattended with foxes around but I don't worry when I come across them. They are relatively small and don't seem to want to attack. Mountain lions, bears and coyotes scare me. Foxes-- not so much. |
| as guest says, no real danger to an OES. If you were a chicken...huge trouble! We used to have fox.....graduated to coyote around here  |
| Well, the potential for the fox to have rabies certainly exists. That would be my only concern. My dogs tend to be chickens, but not the poultry kind. My son used to live in Madison WI. He used to go to a nearby park to kick around a soccer ball. One evening he noticed what he thought at first to be a dog sniffing his soccer bag. Turned out to be a fox who wanted to chase the soccer ball just like a dog. |
We have fox and coyote, and I'm waaaaaay more worried about coyote.  Oscar is 118 lbs, so he's twice as big as the biggest coyote I've seen out here. My concern is when I see two of them hunting together.  Then, we go right back in the house.I wouldn't be worried about a fox attack necessarily, but a rabid or cornered animal is always unpredictable. Laurie and Oscar |
| Years ago, I delivered pizza during college and I usually left my door open when I walked up the houses because a) it was faster and b) we delivered in cheap, lousy cars and all the wear and tear on the handles resulted in me pulling a lot of them right off and replacing them sucked. Anyway, I was in a subdivision that backed up to a tiny wooded area and I left my door open as I always do and when I returned to my car, there was a fox sitting in my passenger seat. I went around to the other side and opened the passenger door but, thank goodness, he bolted out the open driver's side door. He scared the heck out of me! I had had dogs on more than one occasion hop in but that was a first (and last)! |
| Other than your dogs giving chase, not much concern. The fox will try to get away, only fighting if cornered. Yeah, coyotes scare me too. Even with a big dog, a pack of coyotes will take the dog with ease. Them "drun" things live just down the road allong the irrigation ditch and yip up a storm at night. Pyrs, being livestock guardians, would get especially upset with the noise and threat. Had what I believe was a coyote in the back area one night, I went out to investigate why my dogs were going nuts (not my finest hour). Got close to the gazebo when a growl warned me off. Next a.m. the gazebo lattice was in shreds and the feral bunny population dropped to zero. |
I love seeing foxes on our property, as they help take down the squirrel and vole populations! They do (in our area) have a high incidence of rabies though, so we always make sure to steer very clear of them. They are way to skittish to bother the dogs, as Sheepieboss said, unless chased. Trash may also be an issue...they will get into it if its left within reach, and then you've got a satisfied return customer  .Feel fortunate....my current wildlife issue is a grizzly who (just last night) decided to RIP the side out of our garbage trailer! 1/2" OSB panel...just torn right in half! There was no trash in it, as we are in the process of hauling away brush and scrap lumber...but evidently the smell of garbage lingered in it  . Maybe Ill post a pic later, once Im brave enough to go down there and take a closer look  . |
| 1/2 inch OSB board and a griz........that's just Tinker Toy to one looking for a good last meal before nap time. Huckleberries are gone, huh? |
SheepieBoss wrote: 1/2 inch OSB board and a griz........that's just Tinker Toy to one looking for a good last meal before nap time. Huckleberries are gone, huh? No berries of any sort left  it was a crappy berry year (I didn't even bother to go picking), so the poor bears are probably desperate. Weve already had snow here, so I had hoped they were off to bed...no such luck. |
| Well, after reading about some of the "real" wildlife you guys live with, I am a bit embarassed I asked about the fox But I have to say, you all did ease my mind My dogs are never out after dark and even during the day, I am out with them supervising. Funny you say that about the squirrels as I just mentioned to my husband that I haven't seen many around and usually we are swamped with the little critters.... I don't know how you all live with coyotes and wolves and did I hear grissly bears Thanks everyone! |
| Okay, I know this is not quite in line with the fox issue, but it reminded me of my first sheepie's experience when I lived in northern BC. I had this tiny townhouse apartment with a tiny fenced backyard, so BRANDON went out in the backyard several times a day to do his stuff. I'd usually let him out when I first got home from work, run upstairs to change, and come back down to find him inside (yes, I have always left the back door open for my dogs...it's a bad habit I've had my whole life). This particular day he hadn't come in yet, so I pulled the door all the way open and stepped out onto the landing. There on the ground sat BRANDON very politely, looking up at the bald eagle that had landed and was sitting on the fence. It was very still, staring down at him. I'd heard that they have been known to take away small dogs, but I figured my hundred plus sheepie cross was a little much for him, so I didn't do anything right away. I'm sure that there was one major internal conversation going on in that eagle's head. (If I did get him airborne, I'd eat for a month...but is it worth the hernia? What's under all that hair? Maybe he's not as heavy as he looks? Hmmmm, I wonder what he tastes like?) The eagle cocked its head to the side and started to lean forward, and that's when I stepped off the step and started talking very loudly. It was enough to make the eagle take off and leave (It was spectacular to be THAT close), and BRANDON watched him fly away and happily trotted back into the house, with no clue that his prospects of being dinner were being heavily considered just a moment earlier. |
| fortunately, the baldeagle sizes up and usually goes for smaller prey, but they are capable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2UJe_Nc ... re=related |
| My biggest fear is...skunks. I can't imagine Howie getting sprayed at night. What the heck would I do with a full coated stinky icky pup? YUCK. Each night I go out (I live in the city) and bang my garbage bin to give any skunks fair warning that we are outside. Then I allow Howie to run free in the backyard. A few years ago, my 14 year old golden retriever got skunked while just sitting on our deck waiting to come into the house. Poor dog, she did not have a chance to run. I remember getting my old bathing suit on, gathering up all the ingredients and towels, I got busy wiping Holly down. I must have looked a little wacky to my neighbours. It was horrible, I had just got my carpets steam cleaned the day before! That was a good question about the fox. peg & pup howie (smelling fresh and clean at this moment) |
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