I have 4 Bitches in Heat all at the same time and I Had to Move them to a Kennel bilding that we have for girls. But I have notice a Fox or coyote has been Visiting around and Sitting not far away just watching them.
Shoud I worry about having a Fox x Dog accident?

Or they are just looking for food?

Any reason to be concerned about Rabies in your area?

If it is a coyote you should be very concerned with brucellosis.

A fox cannot breed a dog, different DNA, but a coyote can.

I had a run-in with a red fox a couple of weeks ago. He charged me and my 17-month-old male as we were walking in our neighborhood. My first thought was rabies, but after speaking with someone from the state
DEP, I learned that this is fox mating season, and he was likely trying to scare Wilson away from his mate. So...maybe you have a lovesick fox hanging around.
Kathy

Don't worry about foxes, but DO WORRY about Coyotes. They can and do reproduce with dogs all the time. In fact, coy-dogs are a major problem in some areas, as they tend to be bigger than coyotes and have less fear of humans (not a good thing).

Best,

Leslee Pope
Huntcrest

Last year when one of my girls was in heat....I had a pack of coyotes howling at my back fence line. I was very careful not to let her out alone....I hand walked her for the next few nights and I have never had them come back. She was in her fertile days when the coyotes arrived. The sound of the howling was so scary....my fence is only 5 feet high..... I have heard that they can get over it easily!! I was told by someone on this forum that the coyotes will not breed with a domesticated dog but would kill her if they could get to her !! I would hope that would not be true...I just don't know for sure.

Linda,
in our area a pack of coyote would kill a domesticated dog. But if a single male is running alone he could and possibly would breed a dog.

Very unlikely that the coyotes will come into a yard with multiple dogs, they do their best to steer clear.

we have more problems with the single males trailing our calves or goats for food.

Coyotes can lure out a male dog of any size with a female coyote in season, who hangs out just out of sight. The male dog follows his nose, then the pack will come out of nowhere and kill the dog. This happened to a friend of mine's 15 year old intact springer.
I have had coyotes linger around my property with a bitch in season. She is not safe unless she is inside your house, and watch out for doggy-doors; coyotes are very smart and will figure them out in a nano-second, and as the other poster said, can kill them. They definitely can climb or jump fences, and so can domesticated dogs, so beware!
Foxes are another matter altogether; they do not behave the same as coyotes, so you need to identify what is hanging around watching your girls.

I have had foxes congregating and yipping in the back yard at night when I had girls in season. I think the scent is similar enough to stimulate the behavior.

Yeah, I had coyotes hanging around yipping and barking when my girl was recently in season. They were too close for comfort. I always went out with her(fenced yard) and never left her outside alone. We have woods in the back of our property and the coyotes hide and lurk. The coyotes are getting very large in these parts(CNY). Anyone else notice that?

Yes, and BRAVER!!

Could be Coy-dogs if they seem larger...

You're right, scary thought!