Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Does dog pee ward off raccoons?

Alanis is picking up correct ADT habits. For her last outing each night, she makes a circuit of the chicken pen where I hope she pees all over the place. Somebody on my chicken list has a theory that dog pee helps keep raccoons away. Or maybe the pee is just good luck (it's got to be good for something).

Every night the neighborhood raccoon crosses my front yard to the back gate where she climbs my fence into the trees that border the yard. Instead of climbing down to the yard where the chickens sleep the sleep of the innocent in their coop, she walks along the wood fence or through the trees and goes down into a neighboring yard. Early in the fall, I even caught her and her two cubs on top of my house a couple of times.

Although Airedales are natural varmint hunters and raccoon scent is used in hunting trials, I'd never want one of my dogs anywhere near a raccoon. It's not fear of rabies; it's that a terrier will happily fight until it's in shreds and raccoons are vicious beasts. Sorry chickens, the dog comes first.

6 comments:

  1. We've never met a raccoon and mom hopes we never do! Good girl to steer clear, Alanis!

    Love ya lots,
    Maggie and Mitch

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  2. I hope the pee theory is true. We don't get racoons up here. I wouldn't want to meet one.
    Love Ruby

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  3. MOM said we have some raccoon around here. But with all of this snow have not seen any. Just being 9 months in this world. There sure is a lot of things I have not seen yet and to meet so many new friends. Thanks guys for stopping in.
    Love & HUGS
    Falcon

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  4. We wish Booker was still here because we would consult him - he was a racoon-fixated Treeing Walker - that was his job, his life, his be-all-end-all. I will bet on one thing, the BAYING of a pack of coonhounds will ward off raccoons! And they are nasty, large beasts, able to do some mighty damage to a dog.

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  5. I would not want to see a dog and raccoon fight either. The pee theory sounds plausible for keeping your chicken's safe.

    Levi's mom

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  6. My dog Princess tried to play with one once, it was funny and little scary all at the same time. She didn't get hurt, thankfully.

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