# Fox encounter



## matt9973 (Jan 20, 2014)

Hello, while on my morning walk with Spike today, we rounded a corner, it was dark, and suddenly Spike postured. I began looking to see what he had seen and across the street on the other side walk was a fox. Spike immediately became aggressive and began barking which he never does. I turned him around and began calmly walking back home. Spike did a great job of forgetting about the fox but I noticed that the fox began following us, he never crossed the street but walked right along with us. If I stopped he did. We came roan intersection, and we turned left, the fox went into the middle of the street and sat and stared us down all the way til we got home, about one more block. I guess my question is, does anyone have experience with fox in their neighborhoods, and would they attack a golden, I know Spike thought it was breakfast time. Also, is a fox committed to a certain area, so should I not walk that route any more?


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I would be worried about rabies.... 

We have foxes here in our area - but they are skittish and elusive. They are more likely to attack cats or small animals if the owners are not around. <- We had a neighbor who had problems with foxes going after her cats.


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## Ivy's Mom (Jan 15, 2014)

I'd be worried about rabies too. We've spotted a fox a couple times in the off leash park, but we haven't seen it in weeks. I'd be worried if I had cats though. Fox are very shy of people and other animals that are bigger than them, at least the ones I've seen at the park. I wouldn't walk that way at night though, just to be safe even though it's probably unlikely they'd attack unless you provoked them.


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

We have many foxes in the area, and they tend to keep their distance, though I have seen them sit and stare at me from afar. I don't think they would attack a golden, unless they felt threatened or were rabid.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I agree with the posters above, we have fox around here and they avoid us and the dog. As long as they're not cornered or provoked, I wouldn't worry about an attack.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Lots of the foxes up here if they come into town they have rabies. I would notify animal control if you have one. It would be good if they could find it and capture then test it. If you do happen to find a dead fox, take it to animal control to have it tested.


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## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

Alaska7133 said:


> Lots of the foxes up here if they come into town they have rabies. I would notify animal control if you have one. It would be good if they could find it and capture then test it. If you do happen to find a dead fox, take it to animal control to have it tested.


I would notify animal control and not personally pick it up.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I only suggested picking it up to keep other animals from potentially eating a carcass that could pass on rabies. I would use rubber gloves and put it in a plastic bag. It's unfortunate that even in death, rabies can be passed on to another animal.


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## Ruby13 (Dec 28, 2013)

We had a fox try to move in with us last spring. 

I have a rescue cat that wants to mother everything.

She brought home a possum, it moved into our cat house on the carport and terrorized me every time I went out the door. She shared her food with it and slept with it. I finally ran it off, but it took days, and I had to start feeding the cat inside.

A couple of days later, she had a pet snake in the cat house. Every time it moved she would lightly swat at it, and she carried it around for days. Not sure what happened to the snake - he wasn't responsive to my broom, but he disappeared after about a week. 

Within 24 hours, she had a red fox in the cat house. The fox only stuck around for an afternoon on the carport, but it drove my dogs insane! We saw it in the yard several times over the next few days, but I don't think he enjoyed being mothered by an overbearing cat, and the dogs made him nervous. 

Granted, I could have done without all of Willow's adoptees, and rabies always terrifies me with wild animals, but Willow wanted her own pet!


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

We have fox families and they steer clear of the dogs, because they get chased. It is odd that the fox didn't run so just be careful. I would carry some pepper spray just in case. One thing to think about, they are denning now so you may have gotten close to one. I would avoid that area for a while in case they need space.

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## matt9973 (Jan 20, 2014)

I think it didn't run because Spike was leashed and I turned him around right away and he ignored the fox after we turned. But he denning info is great, thank you!


Matt and Spike


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Ruby13 said:


> We had a fox try to move in with us last spring.
> 
> I have a rescue cat that wants to mother everything.
> 
> ...


I'm pretty sure I love your cat!


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## Heather C. (Sep 25, 2013)

We have fox and coyote around here. The coyote are pretty brave, i.e., not scared of humans or dog, and will often sit and watch you, but they won't attack or anything. Foxes tend to be shy. I second others who say call animal control, because a fox that brave could have rabies.

Heather


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## ChasingChase (Feb 2, 2013)

I don't think they'd normally attack a golden, but I would be worried about rabies too. Usually a fox doesn't want anything to do with people or animals much bigger than itself. But the fact that it followed you/stopped to stare whenever you stopped has me worried. I'd bring something like pepper spray or a club on the next walk!


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## mddolson (Jul 10, 2012)

8 years ago, we were the first in a country subdivision about 5 km (3 miles) from town. When we moved in & we were the only house for a year. Fox, turkey, deer, rabbits & coyotes were common occurances on our daily walks. 
The foxes never ventured near but would watch from a distance. When they dug the foundation next door, one used to pertch regularly atop of a pile of earth & watch our dog(s) in the back yard. We have a 5ft high chain link fence surrounding our back yard.
Any we encountered on our walks would keep moving, but keep they're eyes fixed on us until out of sight.

Mike D


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

We live in a very populated suburb and we have foxes in our neighborhood. Since it was dark out, I wouldn't be so worried about rabies as I would be had it been in the middle of the day. It was likely a younger fox who was curious, especially since you and your dog immediately turned around. I only see them around here after dark or really early in the mornings. But I sure can hear them during mating season! They yell back and forth at each other for hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vuvkr6G2k

The first time I ever heard it, I was walking out early in the morning to get my newspaper and I thought a woman was being attacked somewhere!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I only see foxes at dusk or close to nightfall.... and they take off when you get anywhere near to get a closer look. Like coyotes - they vanish fast. If a fox followed me and my dog as opposed to taking off - that's what I'd see as an unnatural behavior for them.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

fostermom said:


> We live in a very populated suburb and we have foxes in our neighborhood. Since it was dark out, I wouldn't be so worried about rabies as I would be had it been in the middle of the day. It was likely a younger fox who was curious, especially since you and your dog immediately turned around. I only see them around here after dark or really early in the mornings. But I sure can hear them during mating season! They yell back and forth at each other for hours.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vuvkr6G2k
> 
> The first time I ever heard it, I was walking out early in the morning to get my newspaper and I thought a woman was being attacked somewhere!


I've been hearing that sound for two weeks and couldn't figure out what it was! One of the old country boys told us it was a raccoon, but I've lived around those all my life and I never heard that sound! I thought someone was being killed, too!
Thank you, now I know what it is!

I love the foxes, there's a young male who struts across the driveway and into the field like he owns the place. Max is not impressed, and will chase him if I let him. I'm afraid he'll kick Max's butt, though


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

We had a fox that showed up in our back yard from time to time in Virginia, but I doubt it was rabid. I think we just lived in a fairly rural area. My dog (this was Biscuit, my oversized yellow Lab) was about four times the size of the fox. Frankly, it being rabid never even occurred to me. I always associate rabies with animals that behave oddly, like nocturnal animals such as skunks and raccoons that that start wandering around in the daytime. This fox just disappeared if anyone made a move around him! It never occurred to me to fear him, although I certainly would have if I had owned chickens or something!


NewfieMom


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

NewfieMom said:


> We had a fox that showed up in our back yard from time to time in Virginia, but I doubt it was rabid. I think we just lived in a fairly rural area. My dog (this was Biscuit, my oversized yellow Lab) was about four times the size of the fox. Frankly, it being rabid never even occurred to me. I always associate rabies with animals that behave oddly, like nocturnal animals such as skunks and raccoons that that start wandering around in the daytime. This fox just disappeared if anyone made a move around him! It never occurred to me to fear him, although I certainly would have if I had owned chickens or something!
> 
> 
> NewfieMom


the first time I saw one in the field, I thought "oh, someone's dog got out!" and I tried to get him to come to me. 
He had this look like, "Lady, you DO realize I'm not a dog, right?" 

I laughed my butt off when I realized I was trying to call a fox to me.


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## Heart O'Gold (Jul 31, 2012)

We have a fox here, and I've seen him in the day several times. I think his den is very nearby, possibly under the shed next door. No one has lived there in over 1 year. Yesterday I was walking Bentley through the back yard and came across the remains of a skunk or raccoon. I think the fox may have killed and eaten it. I worry about rabies from the fox and from the carcass. Bentley didn't touch it, thank God. I don't think that there is any public animal control here, a few years ago I called the county health dept. about a clearly sick skunk in the daytime and I was referred to a private co, that wanted like $300 to come capture it. It staggered away down the road, rabies or distemper probably. Scary.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Heart O'Gold said:


> We have a fox here, and I've seen him in the day several times. I think his den is very nearby, possibly under the shed next door. No one has lived there in over 1 year. Yesterday I was walking Bentley through the back yard and came across the remains of a skunk or raccoon. I think the fox may have killed and eaten it. I worry about rabies from the fox and from the carcass. Bentley didn't touch it, thank God. I don't think that there is any public animal control here, a few years ago I called the county health dept. about a clearly sick skunk in the daytime and I was referred to a private co, that wanted like $300 to come capture it. It staggered away down the road, rabies or distemper probably. Scary.


Look up Environmental Conservation

The first time I saw a dead deer along the road here in PA, I said to my husband, "someone needs to call EnCon." He gave me the "what the heck are you talking about?" look. EnCon existed in NY then, and I would thinks still does - but not in PA.
They would come and pick up dead critters


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

I love foxes  So therefore a long post 

It is about the end of mating season for them up your way. Might be a den nearby as previously mentioned. Their home range is generally about 5 miles so in diameter according to a certain US forest service study. Don't be surprised if you encounter it again.

From what I read of your post the fox was just curious in my mind, the young ones are even more so. I would not avoid walking in the area but that is me. I hope someone isn't leaving out food for it, that never ends well.

We have plenty of fox about as Briguy mentioned and have had many interactions with them. Back when I had Tucker he was a magnet to them for who knows what reason. A game of chase happened often and sometimes they would just sit and talk back and forth. When they had their kits it was so much fun for us to sit back and watch them play.

Here is a vid (not mine) of a dog and a fox, the short version. Headphone users beware. If you hear this at night, now you know what it is






It can be hard to tell by looking sometimes if a animal is rabid or not depending on the stage of it so folks do have a point there. Just having a wild animal check you out doesn't always mean they have it though. 

This guy got some great pictures of his encounter.

The Fox - Parker Rice Imaging

A link to a dog with his fox friend.

fox and dog palls - Imgur

Young fox on a golf course.


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## SkiSoccerFamily (Jan 9, 2014)

We live in an area where there are a lot of them. They are pretty cool!


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## Bentman2 (Sep 30, 2013)

Yeah, I tend to agree with everyone else on this subject. Fox and coyotes want no part of a large dog and are only curious. The battle is over rabies, etc. Both fox and coyotes do not travel in packs so if you are anxious of these, get you a stick or pepper stray. Even a whistle will work. If you live in the north or pacific northwest, then coywolves and wolves will be a different story.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

We had foxes at my house,i had to move from,and they would run away, if they saw us,or my dogs. The babies are just adorable, love foxes.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

The fox screams every night - and it scared me so I started screaming back. The poor thing is probably completely confused now.


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## Suni52 (Jan 18, 2012)

fostermom said:


> We live in a very populated suburb and we have foxes in our neighborhood. Since it was dark out, I wouldn't be so worried about rabies as I would be had it been in the middle of the day. It was likely a younger fox who was curious, especially since you and your dog immediately turned around.


 My first instinct was a younger curious fox. I think if your dog had been off leash and chasing it, it would have been completely different. But a fox can be pretty smart, and knowing that your dog wasn't a threat I can see it being curious. It wasn't like he kept coming at you. It kept a specific distance. As you moved further away, he followed maintaining the same distance. Would a rabid animal do that (not sure, because I don't know a ton about rabies)
If on the other hand you had a smaller dog or cat or chickens, that would be different.


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## matt9973 (Jan 20, 2014)

This has turned into a great thread!! Thank you all for your stories, advice, and input. I too, think hec


Matt and Spike


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## matt9973 (Jan 20, 2014)

Oops hit send!! I too think he was curious because he never came closer, it was dark also, and we haven't seen him since. 


Matt and Spike


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

We have started an evening fox event here at our house. Lila has chased this one guy to our side fenced field more than once. Now he has wised up and is coming up and down through that field where she can't get to him. So now every evening she sits at the patio door watching down the hill over there. When she sees him she takes off outside quietly and runs to the fence line. It is cool because we can step out onto the deck and watch him. He is gorgeous! There are a few dens in the ravine below us and they must be coming and going to the fields on the bench we are on. We can't see the dens and with Lila we have not.seen the babies. Maybe we will this year since he is using our safe field regularly.

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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't know if this is the place for my story or if this is a threadjack, but it seems to fit in. When I was growing up, my mother put dry dogfood (kibble) outside in what was actually a child's device for sledding: a big metal saucer, in the middle of our back yard. For the raccoons who were hungry. Our house backs onto some woods. Eventually the raccoons became braver and would come and let us know they wanted something to eat by opening the screen door and letting it slam shut. We would open the door and hand one a piece a of bread. What made me think of this was the mention of the baby foxes. The baby raccoons were adorable. The adults brought the babies, who stayed up in the trees and watched and learned how it worked. Once I came down to the kitchen and found two raccoons eating cereal out of torn up cereal boxes.

Eventually my mother was persuaded, after many, many years, to give up feeding raccoons. I think rabies may have become more prevalent. But we still have a framed pen and ink drawing of some raccoons hanging. Everyone associated my mother with them. It was, of course, she who loved dogs in our family.

NewfieMom


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## DBrothers (Jul 6, 2009)

We had one in our neighborhood that would follow us sometimes, but at a good distanace. I'm pretty sure he was not rabid as he showed up from time to time over a number of months. Drove the dogs nuts tho.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

*Saw a fox this morning!*

Glad I found this thread! Took Maxi on a 20-min walk this morning in the dark through our suburban neighborhood. Lots of snow-covered yards, so it was light enough. On the way back, I caught a glimpse of what I first assumed was a cat, walking down a neighbor's driveway. We were probably 200 feet away. When I looked closer, I saw the bushy tail, and the walk looked like a fox's walk. Maxi and I just kept on walking. Luckily the fox didn't follow us.

It's garbage day, and people have their garbage bins out by the street. Wondering if the fox was attracted to the smells!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

We have quite a few foxes in our area, I see them out and about at all hours of the day, more of course during the early morning hours or evenings. 

There is a vacant lot next door to me that is not maintained by the owner, it is extremely overgrown. I have seen a fox come of it several times. 

The lot is referred to as the Wildlife Sanctuary by the people living on my street.


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

As I reread this thread I think of Andy's opossum and how he left out tuna for it during the ice storm in Tennessee!

NewfieMom


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## Carmel (Feb 9, 2015)

We have a grey fox in our neighborhood that is friendly and curious. Once as I was getting the dogs out of the van he came trotting up my driveway towards them. He's been around several years now and my neighbors feed him so I don't think he is sick. I think he just watches us daily and is pretty used to us but I still won't let my dogs near him just in case.


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## Rkaymay (May 12, 2014)

Zelda is loving these fox videos. She's so interested! She doesn't usually respond to dog sounds on TV, computer, etc, but she really likes the fox scream!


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## Test-ok (Jan 15, 2015)

Never see foxes, we do have coyotes around that rummage through the neighborhood, and can jump 6 foot fences. I doubt they'll ever come into the yard as we have a pack of 4 dogs and from what I've heard coyotes are smarter than that. We also don't feed our dogs outside..I worry more about scorpions and rattlers.


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

NewfieMom said:


> As I reread this thread I think of Andy's opossum and how he left out tuna for it during the ice storm in Tennessee!


I meant *Danny's* opossum. That was a slip of the *mind*.

Deb
(NewfieMom)


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