I am currently training a new fox: etiquette lessons as much as anything.... I believe it to be this year's cub from White Tip and Big Whitey, and I've mentioned previously that I call him Psycho because he robs violently from both of them - remembering that Big Whitey is a massive dog fox by any measure.
Anyway, the last couple of nights White Tip has turned up and come straight onto the lawn to be fed, while Psycho has emerged from the distant darkness but loitered nearby. As soon as I throw a piece of chicken to White Tip he initiates a chase, and until this week she has run away: but our little vixen is a sharp operator and has now adopted the tactic of moving closer to us (whom she trusts) to keep at bay her son (whom she doesn't!)
He in turn has started becoming bolder, but yesterday as he began to run in really close I spoke sternly to him - and he stopped dead, at which point I threw him a chicken leg directly. He grabbed it and ran off to eat it, while White Tip fed calmly right in front of us. Both of them then wandered off, but half an hour later were back. Again I fed White Tip first, and Psycho started towards her, then looked at me, stopped and sat down - at which point I fed him again.
Once he's got the idea that he doesn't have to fight and disrupt to get fed, I can start camera training him.
John
