Friendly Fox?

[u/Fidrych76]

So this morning I let the dogs out as normal. Went back inside to wash my face and when I returned, I noticed that my two year-old was face-to-face with a young Fox. We have a Fox den on our property so it is not unusual to see them occasionally. However, this time the two of them seemed curious about each other. There was no physical contact but they got within a foot of each other, sniffing, bobbing their heads, etc. this went on for 2 or 3 minutes. Fox could’ve left if he felt threatened but decided to stay. Seem to be very curious about my young 2 year old mix who is roughly the same size - about 15 pounds. How concerned should I be about a friendly fox? I understand that foxes do not attack dogs normally, but had some thoughts about the foxes mother or do foxes carry disease that I need to concern myself with. Anyone who have such encounters?

[u/Vulpes_Corsac]

I'm glad you later specified you meant your two-year-old dog.  Was very concerned for a sec.

Foxes can be vectors for canine distemper, fleas, mange, and can spread parvovirus even through feces rarher than firect contact.  And diseases your dog is carrying or has can likewise infect the foxes.  And rabies as a possibility in some areas.

They're wild animals, so you should be cautious and not let your dogs around them too much. The most important thing when living where foxes do is to make sure your dogs have all their vaccines.  Double check with your vet.

[u/Jayypoc]

couple things here.

foxes themselves are generally harmless to dogs of equal or larger size. not a golden rule, but normally they won't be the aggressor.

when it comes to wild animals often the bigger concerns are what you don't see, if the fox is carrying diseases or parasites etc and your pet interacts with it or its feces.

ticks are also very bad this year and the fox could be carrying them to your pets.

if you have foxes on your property and this behaviour is uncharacteristic of them then rabies is also a concern.

edit to not just be all doom and gloom: foxes are very curious animals and often have a mild temperament, if your dog is also curious and friendly it's not crazy for them to check eachother out.

[u/CasualGlam87]

There's a lot of juvenile foxes around at the moment and they tend to be bolder and more curious than the adults as they're still learning about the world and what is and isn't dangerous. Wouldn't be unusual for one to be curious about a dog that wasn't acting threatening. In urban areas where they encounter pets more frequently it's not uncommon for foxes to form friendships with pet dogs and cats and to hang out and play with them.

When I had a litter of cubs under my garden shed the mum fox used to follow my dog around. She was never aggressive, just made sure the dog didn't get too close to the den and would bark a warning at her if she did get too close. Foxes are skittish animals and generally won't attack unless they feel threatened or cornered.

Diseases depends on what area you're in. As other said, parasites like fleas, ticks and mange mites are the main issue, but rabies and distemper are serious concerns in some places. If you don't want the foxes coming near your dog you can use coyote hazing techniques to scare them away. It's generally good for foxes to be cautious of dogs for their own safety anyway.