Foxes. Help!

[babycorn]

Over the last few weeks, there are a gang (pack??) of extremely vocal foxes who have been setting the dog off, every night between about 2am and 5am. This happened last year, but not for so long, and I imagine it will only get worse as they get settled in dens and have cubs.

I've just been watching about seven or eight of them playing in the road, and reasoned they are using the drive space between my house and the neighbours to access the back gardens.

Dog is doing her nut in, which in turn is doing mine in. I've literally given up on sleeping the last few days.

I am also terrified of letting her into the back garden now, these animals are FUCKING MASSIVE, seriously big, not your typical urban foxes, clearly they have been eating very well over lockdown, and are not scared of lights, or cars or humans it seems, after just having watched them for about half an hour frolicking in the street.

Ddog is a small shih tzu, so would probably make a nice snack for the foxes, am I being overprotective by taking her out in the garden on her lead for her night time wee?? Again, they aren't bothered by security lights, and one was in the garden on Boxing Day in broad daylight, just staring at me...

Has anyone got any advice about a) letting her out (yes or no), b) anything I can do to stop ddog keeping me and the rest of the street up all night barking at them, or c) any tips on trying to deter them.

Literally in the time I've taken to type this, they have kicked off in the back garden and in the street about three times, I can't take much more of this!!! And actually concerned for the stress it's causing the poor dog!

Yes, definitely keep her on a lead. Even if they don't attack her, the scent could cause her to chase.

Can you set up a fan or white noise machine in the room where she sleeps, as well as using blackout blinds? Try and reduce any noise and sights from outside if at all possible. You may need to move her bed for now but it'll be worth it to get a good night's sleep!

Yep, def keeping her on the lead after dark in the garden, having seen the size and numbers of them!

She sleeps on my bed and my bedroom is at the front of the house (double glazed) and clearly they are using the small alleyway between my house and my neighbours to access the back gardens. So basically she can hear them from any point in the house, as can I.

Tried putting her downstairs in the hallway in her bed with the kitchen door shut and living room door shut but that was no help as she could hear them literally outside the front door...

They bark, they scream, they do that weird skit skit skit noise, they knock stuff over, wheelie bins all over the road on bin day. Literally like total thugs.I am not ashamed to admit that I hate foxes at the best of times, I find them really sinister and creepy, and they are literally ruining my life right now, as I cannot function on so little sleep. I am a lone parent, so no help either to try and calm dog, luckily dd sleeps through anything so she's not bothered by it.

No judgement on the sleeping in your bed - ours does too

I'm not sure what else to suggest - as much soundproofing as possible and I find a fan helps to drown out the noise from outside - have it on the highest setting possible!

Thanks! Just took her outside on the lead for her nighttime wee. She was literally raring to go.
Just ordered a massive fuck off flashlight torch from amazon to use.

Now I am literally on my last nerve, dreading the fact that she will be barking her head off all night again.

Yeah, mine would definitely take off if I let him off-lead anywhere near a fox!

If you don't have a fan, I would try a white noise app or something on a phone or computer. YouTube has videos of white/background noise that will play for 8-9 hours - they might be worth a go?

I sympathise though, it must be so hard and of course you're worrying about the neighbours too.

Neighbours said they didn't hear a thing last night. I am very surprised as the noise these things make without the dog barking is insane!

They literally set off the whole neighbourhood of dogs, currently listening to a whole different cacophony of barking. Mine has finally shut up.

Not sure if there is any tried and tested way of deterring the buggers, but I am literally a woman on the edge; as is ddog. She's melodramatic at the best of times, but foxes really bring out the worst in her. And therefore in me.

Ah I think it's normal for them to react - it's kind of wired into their DNA so to speak - doesn't make it any easier though!

I hope you get a more restful night tonight 😇

Literally like total thugs.I am not ashamed to admit that I hate foxes at the best of times, I find them really sinister and creepy
But why?
You realise they are canids..?
Like wolves, coyotes and dogs..?

Left to their own devices a group of young domestic dogs would be highly likely to be behaving in much the same way, knocking over bins, digging holes, wrestling, making noise etc.

If you are worried take the dog out on a lead and something to throw in the foxes direction if they approach but tbh, foxes very, very rarely go for cats who are much smaller so I very doubt your Shih tzu is in danger.
If she was a chihuahua or something I’d be extremely careful but I wouldn’t be too worried about a shih tzu.

A fox will not attack a dog even a small dog. Ok they may fight but a fox is an opportunist in the main. Wonderful in the sense of wild life but I hate that they crap in the garden and tore out swaths of the lawn to get at the beatles.
Now if I could train them to eat cats I'd forgive them

If they are crapping everywhere and disturbing the neighbourhood it might be worth contacting the environmental health people at your local council.

It's also worth bearing in mind that foxes are mostly fluff. Almost all foxes have a chest span of less than 12".

Our old neighbour had an overgrown forest of a garden and foxes lived there. We had two dogs (boxer and staffie so not tiny) and when they saw the foxes it was just a glance from both dog and fox then ignore, it was really strange but it made me think they generally ignore each other. Often we have foxes in our new street and they are noisy, which is annoying but our puppy has started to ignore the racket so they get used to it.

Yes, keep a close watch on her, on a lead as you’re doing even..
I keep geese, ducks & hens so I’m no fan of foxes!

Foxes don't attack dogs!. I'm not sure where you live urban or rural? I live rural my cats play with Foxes. If you live urban perhaps tell the neighbours to put their rubbish in the bins so not to attract them. People feed birds which attract rats and thats what Foxes eat. Foxes are harmless to be honest.

Our garden foxes always ran off the moment our Cavalier stepped onto the patio. They were terrified of the little chap, even though he paid them no attention.

It's mating season for foxes, it'll calm down soon once they've sorted themselves out and the deed has been done, so to speak.

They usually avoid domestic dogs unless they're habituated to them as cubs and i doubt they'd attack then, anyway.