Hi
Can anyone explain this please? Behind our garden there is a graveyard now brimming with urban foxes. It is separated from us by a high wall and a lattice frame. The foxes are doing their usual seasonal screeching all night in the graveyard. During the day they seem to be taunting our corgi who is the spitting image of a fox [he is undocked] except he is lacking somewhat in the slinky department and would need rockclimbing kit and Cliff Rescue  to scale this wall.

For the past week the foxes have been coming one by one to sit on the wall and look into our living room at the back of the house. Yesterday I counted 5 adults sitting there while our dog went nuts inside - it looked like a scene from "The Birds". I chased them away, went inside and then came back to find them all sitting right outside the back door looking in.

We don't keep any food or lures in the garden at all and I am not keen on them hanging around spreading mange. I know they are curious animals but I am wondering if they are plotting something as there are so many of them hanging around. They surely must know he is a dog and that we are not keeping a "fox" in the house who needs rescuing. Our dog is not sick, he is alert and vocal when he hears them and he does not appear to be a wise target for a snack. We also have a 19 month old little girl but she would also be too big for them. They have not been doing this to the neighbours.

Any fox behaviourists' suggestions would be welcome.
thanks
 

http://www.nfws.org.uk/

try ringing this society for advice .

I know this is serious situation for you but it did make me smile ...:)

meant to add January is mating time for Foxes wonder if its anything to do with that??

thanks- yes there is an aggravating level of mating going on ALL NIGHT. The mating connection crossed my mind but can't see what they want out of my boy - these hoodies are mixed gender and he is neutered [and does not present as feminised!].

Can't really throw any light other than to say that this year there have been many sitings of foxes in 'packs' in rural areas.....it is being put down to the lack of autumn hunting (cubbing) due to foot and mouth /blue tongue etc.  The lack of hunting at the start of the season meant that the cubs were not dispersed as would normally happen and did not go seek their own territory but remained in their family group.  Obviously there is no hunting in urban areas, but just wonder if with no reason to disperse maybe the urban foxes work more as pack animals than their rural relatives?? 

I have heard of foxes attacing smaller breeds - but maybe a pack of foxes might be brave enough to take on a larger dog?

Years ago I had a Jack Russell and Pembroke Corgi who chased a fox in the wood - it was quite funny, the fox about 10 feet ahead of the terrier, and the Corgi panting 50 yards behind! Luckily the fox got away.

Can you not attache some metal wire to the top of your wall to deture them from sitting up there and getting into your garden?

Foxes can generally tell the difference between a dog and a fox, your pooches urine should tell them he is not a fox just for starters, it is a very strange occurance.  I would be excited to see a fox on my wall looking in, but 5 I may find un-nerving especially with a youngster in the house, I would not have any worries about one fox, foxes in general would not even think of attacking a dog or a child but a pack of 5 would worry me too.

I would work on some kind of attachment to stop them sitting on your wall. :-)

We haven't got as much of a problem as the OP's with them sitting on the wall but we have had to try and deter them from the garden as our dogs go mad in the night when they hear them.  We've made a sort of rattle thing with all those free cds/dvds magazines give out.  Don't think it'll work for long but a couple of nights peace would be welcome.

It's badgers that are a real pest to us, i know they are lovely to look at, but our neighbours have taken to leaving food everywhere for them.  They seem to be getting very brave and if we see a badger on the lane or in our drive they no longer leg it, they seem to be weighing us up, very scary.  I worry that a really brave badger will be in the garden when i let the dogs out and that it will attack my lot.

Paula

This sounds really gross, but the best way to deter foxes is with human male urine. If the top of the wall is too high for your husband to reach it by natural means, perhaps you could persuade him to pee into something and pour it over the top of the wall, (this is the advisable method it you have close neighbours).

Wow that's interesting!  I knew an old guy who used to pour the contents of his chamber pot down a number of holes in a warren leaving just the one for the rabbits to exit by.  Also, my male GSP does a similar behaviour........he will pee down a number of holes and then lie in wait by the unmarked ones.  Didn't know it worked on foxes though!  

hey ho Cissy wait until your OH hears this one!!!