Fox: Fight or Fancy

[tWITCH]

Weird post but hey ho

Hello all

At the begining of this year I had a weird encounter. Whilst walking my dog earlier in the morning I saw a fox sat at the back of a petrol station next the the field. It just sat and watched us whilst we walk the perimeter of the field. The next day I saw it again but this time it didn't sit and watch, it actually followed us then broke out into a run (so did me and my dog ) , keeping parallel with us and glancing at us whilst we all ran.

My dog is roughly the same size as a fox (a little fatter) and is the same colour.

My question is: Had my dog just pulled? Was my dog about to have a fight? Was the fox trying to frighten us from it's patch or was it scared and trying to out run us.

Needless to say it freaked me out and I changed the time I walked my dog.

[Tracey.A]

Hi tWITCH,

I've never heard of anything like this before, how strange!? I have no idea why this fox behaved as it did. I'm hoping someone on this forum will be able to enlighten us.

Tracey

[diggleken]

Hi tWitch,
amazing - do you think it had been sniffing petrol fumes?
if it was early spring , would a dog fox be so brave to want to mate when there is man about? Or even brave enough to defend territory?
I've seen a good few over the years and they always seem to respond to man be scarpering pretty quick.
Could be my eau de aftershave though.
I shall watch this develop with interest!
Ken

[gess]

Hi tWITCH

Some experience that! Most around here like Ken says scamper off pretty quick though there are some who will stand and suss you out for a bit before moving on...

Gess

[Words]

Interesting encounter. When we used to have a dog we'd sometimes see foxes pause and watch us go by, with a tiny bit of 'tracking' but nothing like you describe. It could be it was just guarding its territory, which in January/February would relate to protecting a breeding den. I doubt it was contemplating an attack (foxes are cautious and avoid trouble where possible).

[Dutchess]

Can you recall the fox's body language? This may give us a clue as to it's intentions. Was it's tail held high or tucked between it's legs? Did it look submissive or wanting to dominate? Although maybe in the scurry you just didn't notice

Foxes are curious creatures and a youngster may approach humans. Perhaps this one gets fed by someone at a regular time? This might account for the sitting and waiting.

Interesting!

D.

[tWITCH]

I think it was January, I know it was the Fox mating season, as at the time I started reading about foxes on the internet to see if there where any recording of foxes attacking dogs. Appoximately 5.30am. Although I had never seen one before my sister worked nights opposite the petrol station and said that see had often seen and heard others comment about seeing a fox around that area.

First time I saw it it just looked quite comical, just sitting there watching the waking world go by. The second time way quite different. I remember it running at the side of us more prominately. Tail was straight out behind it. It looked a bit ropey too. It had run the length of the bowling green adjacent to the field to keep up with us.

Never seen it since, but like I said before I started walking my dog a little later.

[tWITCH]

Also the direction that it was running to was on to the main road.

[Words]

If the brush was was straight out behind it that would support the theory of it protecting its territory. That's a dominant tail signal telling other foxes who is boss.

[Dutchess]

What Words said

D.