4am + dog + skunk + fenced yard

March 23, 2026, 08:46 AM

Fly-Sig

It was the perfect example of Murphy's law. A sheepdog with all that fur, dark yard, juvenile skunk, fencing, me in just my underwear so I didn't go out with her, and no nearby stores open before 6am to buy peroxide.

The dog chased the skunk back and forth across the yard 3 times before the skunk resorted to spraying. The dog got it good. Round 1 of de-skunking her was mostly successful, so that's the good news. When she is dry enough I'll clip her hair short.

Hopefully the skunk has learned to stay out of the fenced area, and hopefully the dog has learned to stay away from skunks!

March 23, 2026, 10:03 AM

PHPaul

quote:
Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
Hopefully the skunk has learned to stay out of the fenced area, and hopefully the dog has learned to stay away from skunks!

Based on my experiences, all I can say is good luck with that!

March 23, 2026, 10:48 AM

Graniteguy

If skunks are like porcupines, your dog will be eagerly anticipating her next chance to chase down a skunk.

March 23, 2026, 10:54 AM

YooperSigs

A couple of years back, I flipped on my patio light before stepping out to fill my bird feeders and illuminated Petunia the Polecat. She (I know it was she, since her kids would come by with her) was not bothered by the light or my presence and went on about her business. My less observant neighbors did not fare so well. They would blunder outside, often with their dogs without paying attention and meet Petunia or the kids. Over the course of a summer, the Skunk family tagged a significant group of neighbors! Eventually my landlord trapped them and drove them somewhere else. Too bad. I kind of enjoyed the chaos.

March 23, 2026, 11:06 AM

berto

My mom’s Jack Russell was the calmest chillest most patient dog except for when it came to skunks. My toddler nephews tackling him or dragging him around were no problem. A skunk in the yard put him in full murder mode. He killed at least three. Stank up the yard, house, car, and himself but never even a scratch.

March 23, 2026, 08:28 PM

Fly-Sig

She'll be returned to the rescue if she repeats this.

March 23, 2026, 09:29 PM

LS1 GTO

quote:
Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
She'll be returned to the rescue if she repeats this.

No offense but, you’re gonna go through a lot of dogs if the expectation is they don’t do what dogs do - chase stuff which invades its territory such as: birds, squirrels, rabbits, leaves blowing in the wind, skunk, etc.

March 24, 2026, 07:36 AM

tsmccull

quote:
Originally posted by LS1 GTO:

No offense but, you’re gonna go through a lot of dogs if the expectation is they don’t do what dogs do - chase stuff which invades its territory such as: birds, squirrels, rabbits, leaves blowing in the wind, skunk, etc.

The thing doesn’t even have to move! Wife attached a decoration to a tree branch the other day and the dog barked at it for an hour before deciding it wasn’t a threat.

March 24, 2026, 07:49 AM

sourdough44

I remember my lab in the back of the truck traveling. She’d be laying in her pen enjoying the ride. When you come by a skunk as road pizza, with the associated smell, she would get up & enjoy the sniff.

A trapper relative always had essence of skunk as a curiosity ‘call lure’ for the canine line.

Dogs & other canines like the smell. I’ve been on a good run, been a few years. My procedure is to pen her in the garage for a later bath. Time is the best way to have it dissipate. I’ve used various washes, even regular ‘dog shampoo.

March 24, 2026, 08:48 AM

Fly-Sig

Yeah she doesn't seem too fazed by the stink. I think it irritated her eyes, so as she ran through the house she wiped her face on a couch and on our bed before I could get her out on the upstairs deck. It's like the whole house has been tear-gassed. The family room and master bedroom are unusable. All of the bedding will have to be tossed. Hopefully the mattress isn't ruined. Meanwhile we're sleeping in the guest room. The brand new entryway rug stinks but is improving this morning.

The yard is pretty bad, and of course is on the upwind side of the house, making cross ventilation impossible. Last night she started to roll in the grass to soak up even more of the stink!

She received a terrible haircut from me yesterday, lol. We usually have her groomed by the foster "mom" who does a very nice job. I hacked off as much hair as I could from her head and ears, plus took the rest of her body pretty short. Even after 2 peroxide-baking soda treatments and shampoos she stinks!

This morning she woke me at 6 to go out. No skunks, but the unfenced property was full of deer. She takes it seriously to protect her domain!

March 24, 2026, 10:57 AM

mttaylor1066

We’ve used one quart of peroxide + 1/4 cup of baking soda + 2 tsp of dish detergent to wash the stink off our dogs. Several applications knocks the odor down to about 10%… takes another two weeks for it completely disappear.

March 24, 2026, 11:35 AM

Fly-Sig

quote:
Originally posted by mttaylor1066:
We’ve used one quart of peroxide + 1/4 cup of baking soda + 2 tsp of dish detergent to wash the stink off our dogs. Several applications knocks the odor down to about 10%… takes another two weeks for it completely disappear.

That's the formula we're using. It does help. With a previous dog about 30 yrs ago who got skunked we tried a couple of commercial products that didn't do anything. Shampoo or just dish detergent also don't seem to do much if anything.

March 24, 2026, 01:07 PM

joel9507

quote:
Originally posted by PHPaul:
quote:
Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
Hopefully the skunk has learned to stay out of the fenced area, and hopefully the dog has learned to stay away from skunks!

Based on my experiences, all I can say is good luck with that!

^^ My brother had a dog that did three skunks - hopefully yours is quicker on the uptake.

March 24, 2026, 03:30 PM

LS1 GTO

quote:
Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
Yeah she doesn't seem too fazed by the stink. I think it irritated her eyes, so as she ran through the house she wiped her face on a couch and on our bed before I could get her out on the upstairs deck. It's like the whole house has been tear-gassed. The family room and master bedroom are unusable. All of the bedding will have to be tossed. Hopefully the mattress isn't ruined. Meanwhile we're sleeping in the guest room. The brand new entryway rug stinks but is improving this morning.

The yard is pretty bad, and of course is on the upwind side of the house, making cross ventilation impossible. Last night she started to roll in the grass to soak up even more of the stink!

She received a terrible haircut from me yesterday, lol. We usually have her groomed by the foster "mom" who does a very nice job. I hacked off as much hair as I could from her head and ears, plus took the rest of her body pretty short. Even after 2 peroxide-baking soda treatments and shampoos she stinks!

This morning she woke me at 6 to go out. No skunks, but the unfenced property was full of deer. She takes it seriously to protect her domain!

LOL - good times which the leader of her pack should always remember

March 24, 2026, 04:13 PM

Gustofer

Caught one in a Havaheart trap some months back (I was trying to get a nuisance rockchuck). Unfortunately my dog discovered the catch before I did. Got him cleaned up pretty quickly but the area behind my shed stunk for a month+.