Foxes can be a nuisance for homeowners, especially those with pets like dogs. While getting rid of foxes is important for protecting your property, you also need to make sure any deterrents used are safe for your furry friends. The good news is there are effective fox repellents that won’t harm your dog.
Understanding Fox Behavior
If you want to keep foxes out of your yard, you should know how they like to move. Foxes go where it’s easy for them to get food, water, and a place to stay. They may come to your home if you leave trash cans outside unattended, have small pets, fruit trees, or possible den sites. Foxes are most active in the morning and evening, when dogs are more likely to attack. These cats see dogs as threats and will try to scare them away from their territory. The best way to keep pets and foxes from getting hurt is to keep them from interacting.
Choose Repellents Safe For Dogs
Look for humane fox deterrents that are clearly marked as safe for dogs. Stay away from predator urine, as the strong smell can actually attract foxes.
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Pepper sprays: Made from capsaicin, which comes from hot peppers, these short-term irritants hurt but don’t hurt permanently. Reapply after rain. Avoid dog’s face.
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Motion Sprinklers – Detect movement and shoot water to startle foxes. Harmless but effective. Place near dens or fox entry points.
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Electronic Repellers – Ultrasonic, lighting or sound devices irritate foxes but most dogs can’t hear. Models with sensors work best.
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Outdoor Lighting – Foxes prefer darkness so floodlights deter them. Don’t shine lights directly on dens.
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Plant-based Repellents – Natural ingredients like garlic, citronella, vinegar or chili pepper make yards less welcoming.
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Professional Removal—In the worst situations, professionals are legally allowed to trap and move foxes that are a nuisance. Check your state’s laws.
Top Tips for Success
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Supervise pets outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk when foxes are active. Don’t let dogs roam unsupervised.
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Walk dogs on leashes near known fox dens. Keep pets near you in fox-prone areas.
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Use secure fencing and block potential holes that foxes could access.
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Remove food sources like bird feeders, fallen fruit and unsecured trash. Fox-proof enclosed spaces.
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Use fox-deterrent plants like oregano, marigolds or thorny bushes as natural barriers.
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Clean up after pets. Foxes are attracted to food, water bowls and scent markers.
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Persistently reapply repellents. Consistency is key in establishing long-term deterrence.
Are Ultrasonic Devices Safe Around Dogs?
A common question from pet owners is whether ultrasonic fox repellers will bother dogs. These devices emit high frequency sounds that deter foxes but are almost undetectable to humans. However, dogs have a similar hearing range to foxes, so they can hear ultrasonic sounds.
Despite this, most dogs don’t seem bothered by ultrasonic devices after an initial adjustment period of a few days. They quickly become accustomed to the sound as just another normal noise in their environment. Foxes never get used to it because they don’t reside in areas protected by ultrasonics. The sound remains alarming and unfamiliar to them.
While dogs may bark at first, consistent use of ultrasonics results in fewer reactive outbursts compared to frequent fox encounters. Dog owners often report their pets seem calmer once foxes stop appearing in their yards. Smaller, more vulnerable dogs also benefit from reduced risk of fox aggression.
So while dogs can hear ultrasonic deterrents, they aren’t harmed and typically adapt without issue. The sounds create an invisible fence that makes your yard an unpleasant place for foxes but leaves pets unbothered. This allows dogs and foxes to safely and humanely share outdoor spaces.
The Bottom Line
Protecting your dog and property from foxes is possible with consistent use of proven humane deterrents. Supervise pets, restrict food sources, and use dog-safe repellents like lighting, sprinklers, plants and ultrasonics to establish your yard as fox-free. With some persistence and prevention, you can send foxes packing for good. And your dog will thank you for it!
Dogs are often calmer once foxes are out of the garden
So, in short, many dog owners successfully use the FoxWatch to keep foxes away without causing any disruption to their dogs.
When your dog is in the garden, it’s a natural way to keep foxes away, and you should train your dog to pee in places you’ve seen foxes.
It’s when dogs are indoors or away from home that foxes living nearby may try to venture into the garden. Installing a FoxWatch means there is a deterrent working for you at all times.
Additionally, we often get feedback from dog owners that their dogs were previously barking far more when they saw a fox come into the garden, than they do once a FoxWatch is installed and doing its job.
It can also provide peace of mind to many owners of smaller breeds of dog who are worried about potential fox attacks, however small the threat.
Dogs quickly get used to the FoxWatch but foxes do not
Most of the time, though, dog owners who install a FoxWatch find that their dog gets used to the noise as soon as it becomes normal in the house. The dog may bark a few times the first few times the FoxWatch is set off.
The FoxWatch is something new in the garden that is making a new noise, so naturally a dog will initially be inquisitive.
Foxes, on the other hand, are wild animals that are always on the lookout for threats to themselves and their territories. The FoxWatch is very good at creating this threat all the time, which makes the fox run away and teaches it that your garden is not a place it can feel safe or worth trying to get into.
The best analogy is to think of the FoxWatch as a fox burglar alarm or the fox equivalent of fingers scratching down a blackboard.
Scoot Fox Repellent – Trick foxes into staying away from your garden!
FAQ
What fox repellent is safe for dogs?
EFFECTIVE AND SAFE: KinderPet Fox Repellent Spray is – as the name suggests – ‘Kinder to your Pet’. It is 100% natural and plant and fruit based.
How to deter foxes but not dogs?
Use Repellents: – Scent Repellents: Foxes are sensitive to strong smells. You can use commercial fox repellents, or try natural options like vinegar, garlic, or predator urine (available at garden stores). – Noise Deterrents: Create noise by using wind chimes, radios, or motion-activated devices that emit sounds.
What scent will keep foxes away?
For example, you can make a solution of water and vinegar and spray it around your garden. The strong smell of vinegar can help to repel foxes. May 8, 2023.
What is the best deterrent for foxes?
You can use certain smells to deter foxes, they are reported to dislike the smell of chilli peppers and garlic so try infusing in boiling water and spraying around your garden as a fox repellent.