How to tame a fox in Minecraft 1.17

Minecraft pets are all useful in different ways but a fox is definitely the most fashionable. Follow these steps to your own vulpine companion in Minecraft.

Minecraft foxes taming guide

The first step to taming a fox in Minecraft will be finding some in the wild. Foxes are most likely to spawn in taiga biomes. Foxes can also spawn in snowy taigas and giant tree biomes. They’re usually at ground level and tend to gather in sunny clearings. Foxes tend to spawn in small groups of three or four that stay within the same general area. 

The easiest way to get a tamed fox in Minecraft is to look for some that are sleeping. During the daytime, foxes will sometimes search for dark areas to lie down and rest. If you crouch-walk, you can get very close without waking the fox up. You need multiple foxes to make a tamed fox, so try to find two sleeping close together.

Trap the two foxes together in a basic structure. The easiest way to do this is to trap two foxes separately and then connect their shelters with a tunnel. Remember that foxes can jump, so build the walls at least two blocks high. Then feed both foxes some sweet berries. After a while, a newborn baby fox will appear in the enclosure.

It’s also possible to come across baby foxes in the wild. Foxes only have a 1/20 chance of spawning as a baby. Baby foxes cannot be used for breeding tamed foxes. But keep in mind that they’ll grow up into normal foxes eventually. Trapping one and feeding it sweet berries will eventually make it grow into an adult Minecraft fox.

Once the baby fox spawns, it will immediately be loyal to you. The parents, however, will always be feral. You can keep them corralled or release them back into the wilderness. To separate the baby fox from its parents, build a lead using slime and string and take it to another place. The baby fox will always be personally attached to you, no collar required.

A tamed fox will act very similarly to a tamed wolf but with a few key differences. Foxes can find items out in the wild that they’ll hold on to. The fox’s held item can be taken by throwing any food item in front of it. Keep in mind that edible objects will eventually be eaten by the fox.

In case of emergency, you’ll have to kill the fox to get your item back. This AI quirk can be used as a very useful item slot. It can also function as a fashion accessory. An arctic fox wielding a diamond sword is as flashy as it gets. Just be aware that your Minecraft fox pet might drop its fashion accessory if it spots wild berries.