Urban Foxes question

RustyNut

We have a family of foxes living in the garden next door. The end 20 meters or so of the garden are completely neglected and overgrown which they seem to love and it was an absolute pleasure to be able to watch the cubs playing and getting bigger.
However now that they are getting bigger and and bolder I was wondering would the pose any threat to our two toy dogs.
The parent foxes only come into our garden,to eat the rasberries, when the dogs are inside but the cubs are getting cheekier all the time. Sometimes they just stand on the wall cool as cucumbers looking at the dogs going mental, winding them up even.
Would they be inclined to attack the dogs, two chihuahuas, or see them as food or can we just enjoy having them sharing our space?

EOS Foxes 015edit2.JPG

Pumpkinseeds

I'm not sure how they'd be with dogs. We have an urban fox that comes around the neighbourhood in the early hours, he/she doesn't bother our 4 cats, in fact they all tend to ignore each other. I've often watched our cats sit on the wall enjoying the night while the fox nuzzles around in the grass and there's not been a problem.

That being said I have heard of foxes killing kittens. Maybe it comes down to availability of food?

steveone

They wont bother the dogs if the dogs dont bother them. Saw a fox lastnite at crosswaithe park. Love seeing them about.

Day Lewin

I have never heard of foxes attacking dogs - usually they would run from them. [Foxes ignoring cats is quite usual]
But most dogs are bigger than chihuahuas!!

Good news is that the young foxes scatter by about August - they disperse to find their own territories for next season.
In Dublin though, fox populations are quite dense because so much food is available and their territories can be quite close together. So catching mange is likely to be a possible risk for your dogs too.

There is not a lot you can do about this, I think, except to make your own garden unappealing to foxes. After all they are mainly - though not entirely - nocturnal!

aaakev

steveone wrote: »

They wont bother the dogs if the dogs dont bother them. Saw a fox lastnite at crosswaithe park. Love seeing them about.

You seem very confident of that.....

If the fox see your small dog as food, it will be food. Foxes are hunters and can easily kill a small dog like yours or a cat op. Only saving grace might be the ammount of easily available food they dont have to kill

RustyNut

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I'm not sure how they'd be with dogs. We have an urban fox that comes around the neighbourhood in the early hours, he/she doesn't bother our 4 cats, in fact they all tend to ignore each other. I've often watched our cats sit on the wall enjoying the night while the fox nuzzles around in the grass and there's not been a problem.

That being said I have heard of foxes killing kittens. Maybe it comes down to availability of food?

These lads don't mind the local cats at all. foxes 101.JPG

Spent quite a bit of time watching and photographing them just starting to worry about my own lads now.

DBB

I would be a bit worried alright OP. My OH has seen a fox attacking a Pomeranian, again this fox was used enough to human coming and goings on the farm where the Pom lived, and was used to the Pom too.
He did not kill the Pom, but did injure it quite severely.
I would think that small dogs would be quite vulnerable, more so than a cat... cats have a lot more sharp points on them than dogs do!

RustyNut

DBB wrote: »

I would be a bit worried alright OP. My OH has seen a fox attacking a Pomeranian, again this fox was used enough to human coming and goings on the farm where the Pom lived, and was used to the Pom too.
He did not kill the Pom, but did injure it quite severely.
I would think that small dogs would be quite vulnerable, more so than a cat... cats have a lot more sharp points on them than dogs do!

Jasus now you have me worried. When I said two chihuahuas one is actually a pomauahua and she would be the slower one.

DBB

I don't want to scare you, rather encourage you to be wary and not to fall into a false sense of security! As katemarch says, they will start to disperse towards the end of the summer, so hopefully that'll be the potential danger gone, but without doubt a toy dog just wouldn't have the strength or guile to defend itself against a fox that took a notion to attack them.
I'm not sure if it's just because they're at the gangly, skinny stage now, but in the first photo one, maybe two of the cubs look a bit scraggly and bald in spots... or is it just the angle we're looking at them?
Don't get me wrong, I have a real fondness for foxes, I'm a bit of a townie in that respect and have never suffered the loss of hens because of them, if I had I'd feel differently I'm sure... but you asked the question so I had to give an honest answer

gozunda

Yes foxes will predate small pets if they are hungry or an easy target.

However looking at the photos there are a number of other things you should be concerned with.

Foxes can be a reservoir for both mange and parvovirus. They may also have roundworm which is very contagious
They will have have flees for definite and with the flees come worms. Make sure to have your dogs vaccinated and protected with active flee preparation.

For safety maybe keep your small dogs in a run until you are happy that they have moved on.

RustyNut

DBB wrote: »

I don't want to scare you, rather encourage you to be wary and not to fall into a false sense of security! As katemarch says, they will start to disperse towards the end of the summer, so hopefully that'll be the potential danger gone, but without doubt a toy dog just wouldn't have the strength or guile to defend itself against a fox that took a notion to attack them.
I'm not sure if it's just because they're at the gangly, skinny stage now, but in the first photo one, maybe two of the cubs look a bit scraggly and bald in spots... or is it just the angle we're looking at them?
Don't get me wrong, I have a real fondness for foxes, I'm a bit of a townie in that respect and have never suffered the loss of hens because of them, if I had I'd feel differently I'm sure... but you asked the question so I had to give an honest answer

gozunda wrote: »

Yes foxes will predate small pets if they are hungry or an easy target.

However looking at the photos there are a number of other things you should be concerned with.

Foxes can be a reservoir for both mange and parvovirus. They may also have roundworm which is very contagious
They will have have flees for definite and with the flees come worms. Make sure to have your dogs vaccinated and protected with active flee preparation.

For safety maybe keep your small dogs in a run until you are happy that they have moved on.

One of the fox cubs does look mangey, that was also a worry. The dogs are all up to date with vaccinations and worming. Ill hit the vets tomorrow and see what he recommends, I know he is a fox fan not a hater so hopefully he will have some good advice.

steveone

aaakev wrote: »

You seem very confident of that.....

If the fox see your small dog as food, it will be food. Foxes are hunters and can easily kill a small dog like yours or a cat op. Only saving grace might be the ammount of easily available food they dont have to kill

I am, we've not had problems with them. A hedgehog took a dislike to our cat once but the local foxes where we lived just went on about their business and stayed clear of the dogs (pom and teacup yorkie)

aaakev

steveone wrote: »

I am, we've not had problems with them. A hedgehog took a dislike to our cat once but the local foxes where we lived just went on about their business and stayed clear of the dogs (pom and teacup yorkie)

I dont doubt what your saying but the fact remains that if the fox gets hungry and your teacup yorkie is there it will be dinner. Like I said though, if there is easily available food in rubbish bins and that the foxes might be content.

Iv seen the damage foxes can do, dont underestimate them when it comes to your pets. They are still a wild animal who kill for their food

mymo

I have seen a young fox kill a cat in a relatives garden in London, this fox was being fed by people in the street, and was used to dogs and cats in the street. I also know that several dogs got mange from this fox and it's family, so I would be very wary of foxes being in or around my garden with my pets, particularly young foxes.
I am not a fox hater, I think they are beautiful, but I am also aware of the risks, urban foxes are very different to country ones, much bolder.

Midnight Sundance

I was wondering how the dogs got the mange from the foxes? We've a family if foxes near the house and now after reading this thread I'm worried.
Do the dogs have to come into contact with the fox? Or does mange travel through the air?
How big a dog have you heard of being attacked?

gozunda

Midnight Sundance wrote: »

I was wondering how the dogs got the mange from the foxes? We've a family if foxes near the house and now after reading this thread I'm worried.
Do the dogs have to come into contact with the fox? Or does mange travel through the air?
How big a dog have you heard of being attacked?

There are several different types of mange which are caused by a number of different parasitic mites.
An animal with mange can cause infection in other animals through contact, bedding etc as the mites may transfer.

If you suspect mange / contact your vet asap.

mymo

Midnight Sundance wrote: »

I was wondering how the dogs got the mange from the foxes? We've a family if foxes near the house and now after reading this thread I'm worried.
Do the dogs have to come into contact with the fox? Or does mange travel through the air?
How big a dog have you heard of being attacked?

Re the mange, the vet said it was probably from the fox sleeping in the garden and dogs walking/sitting or lying in same spot. It was quite a problem for the residents as most had dogs, all medium or large and never had a problem with fox attacking these dogs that I heard of.
The cat that was killed was a very large cat, it was almost as big as the small cocker cross they owned, lovely cat too, and it did put up quite a fight, the noise drew most of the neighbours out to see what happened.
I would be very wary of leaving a toy sized dog alone if there were foxes around.

Midnight Sundance

Oh god you have me worrying now. We've foxes nearby and have enjoyed watching them grow up. I'll definitely be more vigilant about keeping an eye out for them coming near the house.
Thx for the replies