Foxes

How can I keep foxes out of our back garden? There is one that has been coming over at night and parading around on the back wall while the dogs go mental barking at it.... usually at about 1am... it wouldn't bother me so much but it clearly bothers the dogs, and I feel we're about to get lynched by angry neighbours!

Also Mange worries me but there are no signs of it so far

Don't think they is a lot you can do about it, the fox will know that the dogs can't get at it and no doubt there will be lots of food about for the taking, main problem is if it has mange which a suprising number seem to have. Can you put the dogs in a room away from the area that over looks the wall the fox is using.

Yep we normally are in a room that doesn't face the garden, but they sense it anyway.... also the fox seems to know the time they go out for their last wee before bedtime and is always there on the wall, taunting them

There isn't any food in the garden but being london there are bins bursting with food everywhere...

Oh, I just had a thought.... there is a compost bin back there! Do you think that could be what's attracting the fox?

unfortunately, being in the city, its not easy unless you actually have their earth within your land or on land belonging to someone who is happy to have them removed.. If this is the case, i can recommend someone who will dig & remove them. otherwise I guess you are stuck with them , sorry.

I have been thinking, and everything that is designed to deter foxes, will also be unpleasant to pooches..!!

Try putting strong unpleasant smelling things around the likely point of entry in your garden - citrus smellies, minty smellies - anything a dog wouldn't like. Reckon Vics would work a treat

Or, set up string with bells/clangers/pots attatched - as the fox moves past it will get a scare, and hopefully think that going somewhere else is alot less hassle!!!

That's all I can think of off the top of my head!!

We have a fox that lives around us and Takara is scared of it

So whenever I take her out for a wee and it's there she tears back to the house pulling me with her, it's very annoying because she won't go while it's there but then she needs to go out again and you end up going in and out all night

That's foxes, the dark, the rain, men, umbrellas and her shadow that she's scared of

sorry i can't think of anything to keep it away,but before you let the dogs out for their wee perhaps you could have a look and see if it is there and if so try to chuck a few pebbles( just small ones so it doesn't get hurt) towards it to scare it away,that way if it works you can quickly grab the dogs,let them have their wee and get back in the house before it comes back

http://www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com.../cat355-sub390
These do work. We dont have urban foxes, we have their rural cousins here, which are smaller and probably more timid, we had a vixen coming into the garden all last winter (after the guinea pigs i suspect!), i used an ultrasonic thing and moved the pigs inside, that seemed to deter her, i didnt want to hurt her in anyway. We often leave food for a pair down in the field, this also puts them off coming up near the houses.

Thanks for the suggestions

Abbey wouldn't that repel the dogs as well though?

ETA just saw that it doesn't - thanks

I just removed it when the dogs were around, the fox only ever really visited after midnight when the dogs are tucked up in bed. Your compost heap will encourage them in too.