Dogs and foxes

[SaggingTits]

Posting here as 'the doghouse' doesn't get many replies.

If dogs are up to date on jabs, wormer and their flea treatment covers mange, is there any harm in them 'socialising' with foxes?

What do you mean by socialising? My dog likes to chase foxes and rolling in their shit but there is no suggestion that this is any way social. I rather think my dog would like to catch the fox and give it a good shake.

Playing with eachother/sniffing etc. Ah fox poo. The bane of many dog owners lives. Mine enjoys eating it

Our dogs used to play with our domesticated foxes without any problems.

Not to the dog. Unless it's perhaps tiny/ weak enough to be seen as prey. But it's not in the foxes interests usually. If it's a young fox, giving it the impression it doesn't need to be wary of dogs isn't a good idea. And sometimes a fox that doesn't appear to be bothered by the approach of a dog can actually just have no viable escape route, ditto a fox appearing to play with a dog can be petrified.

Not a small dog (spaniel) so I'm not worried about her being hurt, more diseases and parasites. These aren't domesticated foxes, they're wild urban foxes.

Lurked- they aren't cornered. they usually appear from nowhere. I do worry about them losing their fear of dogs and approaching one that won't be as friendly. However it isn't just one fox in one area so it isn't that they are used to her specifically. We did a walk yesterday somewhere we never go, broad daylight, she appears with one and they began chasing. Foxy ran off when he noticed me though.

I know I sound mad think she must give out a 'friendly vibe', and it doesn't help urban foxes are rather bold now

Be careful, even if she's big, that she doesn't get bitten: grown foxes will have dogs, though they obviously are far less likely to rip their throats out than they are chickens/lambs etc

If it's not the same fox all the time then I wouldn't worry about it. I was thinking more about ones we've had I've had to discourage the dog from playing with, either because the only escape route is via people so it's not a mutual game, or the odd regular I don't want to teach dogs are friendly.