Furthermore, kitsune are afraid of dogs, who are their eternal enemies as they may recognise whether someone is a fox or a man and they are immune to the vulpine magic. This is why a person who carried a canine tooth or a sign denoting a dog (kanji) was protected against kitsune spells.
They're also afraid of and hate dogs, often changing back and running away from them. Also, a very religious person may be able to see the kitsune's true nature just by looking at them. Most importantly, a kitsune must always keep their hoshi no tama (star ball) with them at all times.
Kitsune have a fear or a hatred of dogs.
Similar to Fae, Kitsunes have a weakness to Iron, though it can make them weaker, aside from removing their tails, the only way to kill a Kitsune is to drive an Iron rod or spike through their heart.
Traditional belief has it that inu have a magical ability to resist evil spirits and demons. They frighten away kitsune foxes and other such creatures, with dog figures often placed at a city's gates to ward off thieves and robbers.
Inugami (犬神, "dog god/spirit"), like kitsunetsuki, is a spiritual possession by the spirit of a dog, widely known about in western Japan.
Laelaps chased the fox, never quite close enough to pounce and sink its jaws into the foxes flesh, and the fox always ten steps ahead of the dog. A dog that always catches its prey and a fox that can never be caught. The god Zeus saw the paradox and so he decided to turn the dog and fox into stone.
Superhuman Durability - Kitsune are invulnerable to any form of harm. They can only die if they're stabbed in the heart, or starvation.
If they manage to survive this period of weakness long enough for them to gain the wisdom necessary to grow a tail, they will become healthy again. Tails lost are permanent setbacks, and stunt the growth of the Kitsune, though stolen tails can be recovered.
Kaze Kitsune
These kitsune are incredibly rare and are said to bring good luck to those who find them. Kaze Kitsune vary in color, but all of them have some sort of wind marking on their fur. Some of them have white fur with light blue markings, while others may have black fur with dark green markings.
Do Foxes Attack Dogs or Cats? Fox attacks on dogs are rare because these animals try to evade conflict. However, they will defend themselves against a dog if cornered. Adult cats are usually safe, but a fox may hunt and prey on kittens.
They also have a nasty scent, which is not appealing to dogs. Although most foxes will stay clear of your pooch, young fox cubs are the most likely to attack and kill small dogs—when they are learning to hunt—and have not yet fully developed a fear of humans and other animals.
If your dog gets too close for comfort to a fox, rubs up against it, moves in to smell and meet it, it's likely he'll either contract mange or get a nasty fox bite! Infections are fairly common from fox bites and typically come from curious doggos getting too close for their own good.
Japanese Kitsune Romance
There are many stories in Japanese folklore of kitsune falling in love with a human man and choosing to live out their lives in the human world. Most of the stories follow the same pattern: a young man falls in love with a beautiful fox lady, and they marry, unaware of the fox's real identity.
Shapeshifting: Kitsunes are able to shapeshift themselves into other forms. Kitsunes can either make themselves an older version of themselves or even a younger version as well as changing their height and weight. They can even change their gender to that of the opposite one if they so please.
After reaching 1,000 years of age and gaining its ninth tail, a kitsune turns a white or golden color, becoming a tenko (天狐, 'heavenly/celestial fox'), the most powerful form of the kitsune, and then ascends to the heavens.
"Many stories tell of fox-wives bearing children. When such progeny are human, they possess special physical or supernatural qualities that often pass to their own children." So yes, kitsunes and humans can produce offspring, and those offspring may or may not be human (presumably being kitsune in that case).
Kitsune feed on life-force, just as vampires do. However, they do this through stealing memories rather than through drinking blood.
In Japanese mythology, there are said to be 13 types of kitsune, which correspond to different elements—celestial, wind, spirit, darkness, fire, earth, river, ocean, forest, mountain, thunder, sound, and time. Broadly, they can also be broken into two groups—zenko, or good, and nogitsune, or bad.
Dogs have the advantage of having more muscular bodies than foxes. While both are canines, dogs have superior bite strength. Stronger jaws, more muscle, and high endurance give dogs the advantage one-on-one. Dogs also have an acute and advanced sense of smell.
A hellhound resembles a mangy, skinny, somewhat demonic hyena-like creature with red eyes and draconic ears. It has the ability to breathe fire. However, the Fourth Edition depicts them as nearly skeletal canines wreathed in flame.
The Schipperke is the most fox-like dog in this list. Their black coat, pointed nose, and black eyes resembles a black fox. According to Dog Time, they are fearless, devoted, and a great guard dog.
In Japanese mythology, the Kitsune is associated with both good and evil. Let's dive into these stories! The Kitsune has been worshipped by the Japanese as a god or a Shinto deity in its own right. If you visit Japan, you will find shrines dedicated to Kitsune!
The Japanese red fox.
Popular portrayals of kitsune both classical and modern often depict them changing their shape for various purposes, usually to trick people. The shapes they take can vary, though more often than not it's the guise of a beautiful young woman.
Kitsune reach physical maturity in the teens similar to humans. The lifespan of a kitsune depends strongly on the number of tails they have, with one tailed individuals living 75 years or so, while those with multiple tails can live well into their second century and beyond.