Yes, foxes and coyotes will bark or yip, similar to a dog.

Thanks, KS, I did, in the meantime find a site which will play the varied sounds a fox makes -very interesting. My Bichon and the fox seemed to be responding to each other as the fox went into the woods. I love it! Now that I know the many sounds, I will be aware of what I hear especially at night. BTY, I am careful about little doggie outside at night. We have coons and coyotes in addition to the fox. As a girl who grew up in the city, I am very much in heaven here.

Can the fox get into your yard? I ask because they are prime carriers of mange where I live and if they come across or onto your property your dog can catch mange too.

The serious types of "mange" are not passed from one animal to another by such casual means but are the result of illness predisposing a dog to that disease. I would never worry about catching any type of skin disease from an animal walking down your garden path. (Fleas maybe in summer but they are everywhere and far more likely to be from squirrels, raccoons, opossums, and mice.) I hate to see alarmist comments that have negative impact on wildlife, especially when they are so very unlikely.

Another thought that might put your mind at ease...if you have your dog on a topical flea/tick treatment like Frontline or Top Spot, check the label. Many of the newer ones also protect against certain kinds of mites. My cat, which is indoor but goes on walks when I do, began having terrible problems with his ears. I could see what appeared to be mites, but they were nothing like ear mites. After a little bit of research online I discovered they were a kind of trombicula mite....good old "chiggers". Then I realized that the once-a-month topical treatment he's on wasn't as effective after a bath, which he had just had. Now during the warmer months I bathe him one day prior to his monthly treatment and the problem's gone.

And from what I read, you'd have to really get up close and personal with your fox to get anything like the mange. SO don't hug him and you should be ok.

bean counter, the "alarmist" remarks you object to came years ago from my vet, who advised us that foxes with mange shed skin follicles and mange as they lie down, roll, and move through and over the countryside. Dogs who lie down in or roll where the fox has shed follicles and mange may contract the disease (the seriousness of the infection depends on the dog's health and whether or not you and your vet recognize the symptoms and treat the disease promptly.)

Obviously, YMMV.

N.B. -- mange in question is scarcoptic mange, not demodetic (the more serious form). Seriousness seems relative, however, since in the UK they report that untreated foxes with scarcoptic mange die within 4 months. Happily they have programs to treat the fox population there, but I have never heard of any in this country.

shequit, I'm very excited for you. Perhaps he has a mate nearby and you will see some cubs in the spring. I would love to have one somewhere near me, but the coyotes are far too numerous. I believe in order to survive they will adapt like the raccoons to more urban areas.

I apologize for stepping on your thread with my comment about "mange" in wild animals. It just breaks my heart when someone posts something negative that will cause people to fear and therefore endanger the animal. Anita, in some parts of the country I have heard they inject dead chickens with wormer and things like Frontline to eliminate health problems. They throw the chicken near the fox den so he will be sure to eat it. In places where they hunt fox with hounds they take very good care of their foxes. Since we donÂt hunt them to the death here in the US, these hunt clubs chase the same foxes over and over again year after year. They even feed them to make sure they donÂt wonder away to another area.

Shequit, you are lucky to see a fox. Where I live now they are rare; on the farm where I grew up, they used to routinely trot around the back porch and we used to watch the mothers bring their young out to play and see them learning to hunt. They were all very beautiful and quite intelligent. When I was a girl I remember fixing fences and stepping into a well-camouflaged old fox den opening. Luckily I wasn't moving fast enough to break my leg.

Bean counter, thanks, I was aware of the foxhunters' care for foxes, as hunting friends I have use Ivermectin sandwiches, know the fox families, and also give them food as necessary. However, I understand that in the UK there are programs that go further, regularly trapping mange-infected foxes and treating them.

In my experience, responsible pet owners want to know how wildlife can impact their domestic pets. Among reasonable people, such information does not lead to fear or endangerment of a wild creature.

I have chickens and at this time of year the foxes become a problem. They over come their fear of my dogs and help themselves to a few of my chickens. I would like to help them because they have to be starving to take such a chance. And I really don't want them taking my chickens either. Will they eat some kind of dog food? If not, what would be the cheapest fox food I can get?