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We have a squirrel that hangs out in the yard and eats our walnuts. It runs up the tree everytime my beagle basset goes out into the yard. It goes to the very top and hides. There are cats that go into our yard and they also run whenever the dogs go outside. That same goes for neighborhood squirrels and cats when we take walks.
Lately, I've been taking my beagle basset for walks in the city each day. I have an hour to kill while my son is at college. It makes more sense for me to hang out downtown than go home for 30 minutes and go back to pick him up. I thought this was a great opportunity for dog walking.
But I've discovered that city squirrels and cats are very aggressive! The squirrels run up the tree but only a foot out of reach and turn around and stare down the dog and even me! Even worse, a cat attacked my dog on the sidewalk last week. My dog didn't do anything wrong. We were walking on the sidewalk. The cat was laying in the yard. My dog hadn't even noticed the cat, but the cat came running out of the yard into the sidewalk and hissed and scratched at my dog. I was able to pull the leash back quickly enough so he didn't get scratched.
I'm shocked by the brazen behavor of the city squirrels and cats! Why is everything rougher in the city---even the wildlife and pets?
I can't help but laugh reading through this. I live in the city and I totally agree about the squirrels. They sit in the trees and taunt my dogs. They run across the top of the fence on my patio and my dogs go nuts in the living room, bum rushing the sliding glass door to the point that I think one day they're going to go through it. They're so mean!
In NYC's Union Square Park I have found the squirrels to be so tame that they will actually take snacks right out of my hand and sit there eating them. As for harassing dogs, no, I haven't seen that but I don't walk a dog in the city either.
The squirrels and cats may be mean but you have a beagle/basset mix and you're worried? Beagles and bassets are bred for hunting game like rabbits, groundhogs, foxes and birds. I think if your dog was given the choice he wouldn't have a problem dealing with either of these foes. I once saw a basset hound chasing a deer for more than 20 minutes through the woods of Maine!
Ah, yes the joys of squirrels and cats. My doggie wants to play with cats but they hiss back. Squirrels run as fast as possible up trees. If my doggie could climb trees, he would.
I once saw a basset hound chasing a deer for more than 20 minutes through the woods of Maine!
Bad, bad idea. Unknown are Maines laws on this, but in some states running deer with dogs is illegal, and habitual offenders can be shot by authorities. Next, while deer usually choose flight over fight, not always. Bucks can be very aggressive during the rut, and dangerous at any time of year. Does defending fawns are very determined. Both sexes have sharp hooves and bucks will be wearing racks for about half the year. A basset would be in over its head if an adult deer stood its ground, although as mentioned, deer usually prefer to just outrun a predator.
That's funny. I often rile my dog up by telling her that I saw some squirrels, and they were laughing at her--she goes crazy! And my cat has been known to jump out of the bushes at small dogs and their owners on their walks, and we don't even live in a city.
Bad, bad idea. Unknown are Maines laws on this, but in some states running deer with dogs is illegal, and habitual offenders can be shot by authorities. Next, while deer usually choose flight over fight, not always. Bucks can be very aggressive during the rut, and dangerous at any time of year. Does defending fawns are very determined. Both sexes have sharp hooves and bucks will be wearing racks for about half the year. A basset would be in over its head if an adult deer stood its ground, although as mentioned, deer usually prefer to just outrun a predator.
This is an example of hunting breed tenacity that I witnessed myself. The basset(or perhaps a small beagle) had a doe on the run. My husband and I were preparing for the hunting season ourselves when we heard the doe panting and running. The dog followed a half minute behind on a light trot. Deer will not face down a dog unless they feel there is no other alternative. There are few instances of deer attacking dogs. Deer are built to run. But we digress. I used this instance to illustrate that a squirrel is no match for a dog of that size no matter how mean.
We got flashed by a squirrel. Laugh? I nearly wet myself.
Big city park, me and two very well trained dogs on leads. Squirrel is on the path directly ahead of us. Dogs go into stalking mode (they don't change their gait or alter their pace, but the whole body changes). Squirrel sees this and... and the wee bugger stood up on his hind legs while holding his front paws off to the side in perfect flasher style. All he was missing was the trench coat.
When I saw the post I thought by cat you meant mountian lions or bob cats, so I was going to post what we do to help keep them away when we go for walks in our neighborhood. But I see its housecats, I have no experience with those issues. Cats don't last around here unless they stay very close to home. They are coyote and mountian lion food.
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The squirrels run up the tree but only a foot out of reach and turn around and stare down the dog and even me! 
Even worse, a cat attacked my dog on the sidewalk last week. My dog didn't do anything wrong. We were walking on the sidewalk. The cat was laying in the yard. My dog hadn't even noticed the cat, but the cat came running out of the yard into the sidewalk and hissed and scratched at my dog. I was able to pull the leash back quickly enough so he didn't get scratched. 
