How do I get this fox to fuck off?!

[Donutbed]

This damn fox will not stop following me and my dog on our late night walk around the block. It's a total twat. If I take a right turn, it follows us. If I let the fox get ahead and it goes one way, I go another - and then it comes back and starts following us again!

My dog goes mad and barks and pulls at the lead when twat fox is about and it's becoming a nightly occurrence. How do I get it to piss off?! Obviously telling it to fuck off isn't working and I must look and sound like a lunatic. What can I do to shoo it away?! It's ruining our previous lovely late night walks.

I've lived in London all my life and never been harassed like this as a female lone walker or had to 'vary my route' before! Help

Why don’t you stop.

All i’m saying is that due to multiple stories i’ve read in the news over the years, if i encountered a fox while walking out with my 3 year old and baby, i would try my best to get it away from me.

I thought it was extraordinarily rare for foxes to enter homes and attack babies.

I remember a story about that happening in London years ago, but surely the whole reason it was national news was how bizarre and unusual it was?

Humans have destroyed the natural habitat of much of the wildlife, including foxes, so I say, in a nutshell, it's karma. So instead of whining about urban foxes, why not donate a little money to the lovely people who rescue injured foxes, rehabilitate them and release them to safe areas. Many of these people are volunteers giving up their own time

It is rare, but there have been several different incidents over the years that i’ve been aware of. One incident where baby twins were attacked but also several others, including one where a fox was trying to drag a 4 week old out of its cot by the baby’s hand.

Absolutely right

I feel your pain - one of my DDogs hates foxes with a passion and goes completely mental like she's possessed if she smells one or sees one. Scared of sheep but seemingly would very happily tangle with a creature that also has teeth. The way she acts if she spies an apricot cockapoo from afar ... only calms down when she gets close enough to see / smell it's a dog. Anyway, I digress..

When does Fox start following you? Is it always in your street or is it random places it finds you? What would happen if you stood still and let DDog bark at it? How big is DDog? Have you got treats in your pockets or anything? The only things I can really suggest are varying route & timings & not having anything that smells like food on you // changing your own scent / using peppermint oil or chilli or something on your shoes so your trail smells awful to fox.

Oh I know that, I think you’ve misunderstood my comment!

I’m not sure about this. Humans certainly are destructive, I don’t disagree with that, but if we really have destroyed that much of their natural habitat, who don’t we also get badgers and deer wandering around town centres? Urban foxes aren’t like rural foxes.

And for those suggesting the dog is picking up on the OPs feelings about the fox and that’s why it’s agitated- well possibly, but as the owner of a dog with some terrier heritage, I can vouch for the fact that some dogs will never not be excited/vexed about foxes, no matter how chilled out their owner is. When I let my dog out in the garden for his evening wee, he bursts out of the back door and runs Zoomies around the garden making loud exhalations (we call it the ‘power snort’) as well as growling and barking. If he can see, hear or smell a fox, he goes nuts and there’s no talking him out of it.

The issue with the world these days is that many humans are stupid enough to believe that they are superior beings, all whilst destroying the planet. We share this planet with many many creatures. The best thing to do is get used to it. If you really can't then move to the country side where foxes are scared of humans. But to be honest you'll probably find another creature to take issue with there.

So would I - I'd put a lead on it! I don't think we're helping OP.

We have a lot of foxes close here to the city, I agree with other PPs it's probably hungry or lonely... Not your fault or responsibilty BUT is there any chance you could throw a few scraps around for him, obviously not while you're on your walk with your dog

I live in london, and I was once coming home late and met a group of about 5 local foxes round the corner from my house and I did wonder at what point enough foxes become like a pack of wolves and go for humans! But they did scarier when I came close.

I had one fox wander into my living room last summer when it was hot. I'd fallen asleep and woke up growling instinctively and it ran away. It regularly crosses through my garden every night.

‘Dfox?’😂😂😂

Haha, ‘Dfox’ didn’t even register with me 😁 I quite like a bit of casual MN abbreviation boundary creep

We also had a Dfox for ages - would hang around our garden and outside the house. It once crunched its way through a pigeon in the garden and the DCs were transfixed - it was better than the panto. We never fed our otherwise encouraged it but it seemed happy enough to lie beside the shed and sunbathe.

Our neighbour knocked on the door one night to irately request we keep 'our' fox away from his chickens. No worries pal, I'll have a word. 🐺

i read something the other day about Foxes wanting to
become domesticated. They’ve seen what dogs and cats get from humans and want some of that action. It probably wants you to adopt it.

Anyone else being reminded of The Fox and the Hound reading this thread?

Fucking pissing myself OP at you pegging it around london trying to outrun Dfox 🤣🤣🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

I won’t stop because this is nonsense. What do you think the odds are of a fox approaching you and your kids when you are out, and then trying to attack you?

I don’t really get the point of your question, as this thread has been started because someone IS being approached by a fox.

I’m saying that to minimise risk, i’d be wanting to get rid of the fox in that same situation. Not all foxes are lovely fluffy little things. Some are vicious.

@SammyScrounge 😢

The picture by the car 😂😂😂

Looks like a cub. Maybe it's lost its mum

I would adopt it as a pet, as long as he was rabies-free😁

Aw, he's cute, probably lonely.

I realise this is stressful for you and your dog, but there isn't really much to be done.