You can't guarantee your dog never meets a skunk, but you can stack the odds heavily in your favor. Most of it comes down to two things: making your yard less appealing to them, and knowing when and where they're actually out.
Keeping skunks away from your yard
Skunks are looking for two things: easy food and a quiet place to den.
- Bring pet food in at night.
- Keep trash cans secured.
- Trim back hedges and clear brush piles
- Close off gaps under decks, sheds, and porches
Taking away the food sources, hiding places, and denning spots will make your yard less appealing to skunks.
Avoiding skunks on walks
Skunks are crepuscular, meaning they're most active at dawn, dusk, and overnight, and mostly asleep during the day.
Encounters spike during those hours simply because that's when skunks are moving and dogs are least likely to see one coming.
They tend to stick to cover: brush, wood piles, culverts, and the edges of yards rather than open ground.
If you're walking during dawn or dusk, keep your dog leashed and close rather than letting them nose freely into any of those spots.
If you do spot a skunk, give it a wide, unhurried berth, several yards at least, and keep moving away rather than stopping to watch.
Tips
- Before letting your dog into the yard at night, clap or call out and wait a few seconds. Skunks have poor eyesight and rely on sound, so a little warning usually sends them elsewhere before your dog gets out the door.
- Walking alone at night, talk or make a little noise now and then. It works the same way with skunks as it does with the rest of nighttime wildlife, it gives them a chance to notice you first.
- Skip the headphones on nighttime walks. Hearing a rustle in the brush before your dog does is most of the battle.
- Carry a flashlight and sweep it ahead of you on dark stretches of a walk.
- Use a shorter leash vs. a longer leash.
Living near a den
A strong, persistent skunk smell in one spot, or a small hole about four to six inches wide near your foundation or deck, can mean a skunk has denned there.
They're not doing anything wrong, they're just looking for the same thing you are: a safe, quiet place to raise a family.
Following the steps above will do a lot to keep you and your pet family safe.
If you suspect a skunk might be denning in your hard, don't try to seal the entrance or move the skunk yourself, especially in spring, when a mother may have kits denning inside.
Your local animal control office is the right first call. If they don't handle wildlife directly, they can point you to a licensed wildlife removal service or rehabilitator in your area.