Debra Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Not that I've heard - I thought they were quite shy unless you happen to be walking near their young, but the trouble is, if you see them then that's probably what you - or your dog or child - are doing! The photo I saw of one showed huge yellow fangs - ugh, shiver..... Luckily we haven't seen any on our property so far - but if there were any, the local hunters would probably have them off as they consider them one of the list of vermin they are still allowed to shoot on our property (as opposed to the non-vermin they have agreed not to shoot on our property). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 I think it's fairly safe to say that it is self defence, the Ragondins preferable course of action when it feels threatened is to dive in the water, submerge itself and swim away. Inevitably when cornered on land or suddenly pounced upon it will fight to defend itself.Chris.L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 What I worry about is how it defines 'cornered'! The trouble is my kids might just think one is cute and approach for a closer look! Maybe I should show them a picture of one and train them to run - it stopped them going anywhere near the water in our lakes when we showed them a picture of a pike (grossly blown up)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 What's wrong with Pike? Blimey Debra, you'd have to be clever to get bitten by a Pike unless you had caught it, your OH is "Born to Fish". Ducks maybe. Children hanging their hands in the water from a boat as it moved quickly through the water I suppose is possible?Please tell me this isn't true, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 But you survived Debra and are here posting on this forum. Kids get up to all sorts of things and by and large I think that's healthy, how it should be if a little risky at times. I have said it before, the reality is that most children reach adulthood without coming to serious harm and there is nothing wrong with sensible precautions being taken by parents. I think that I was very fortunate in being allowed a great deal of freedom as a child in the countryside and my mates only started to be killed or have serious injuries when we got motorbikes. What I really have problems with is using any form of scare tactics or misinformation with children as it lends itself to phobias and being generally ill informed as to the true nature of things which then often lasts throughout a persons life.It's only my view, it's your children and accidents will always happen, finding the balance and the right approach is never easy.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted June 15, 2006 Author Share Posted June 15, 2006 Evening all... I feel it would be very wrong to judge Debra as being over protective here. There is a precident here you see...Lord Percy, heir to the duchy of Northumberland did refuse to go to sea with Lord Blackadder.Because once, as a child, he was savaged...by a Turbot...I saw it all first time round and have the DVD to prove it.TyP.S...Milou did what any proper dog would do. His sire had a unlovely face due to a badger bite... Thats Jack Russells for you I suppose... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 I see what you mean Chris - but sometimes I think I survived more by luck than judgement! Mmmm - thinking about phobia vs getting bit/drowning incident...We haven't been there in the hot weather yet (have been prevented from going to France since February this year) but our next trip is in mid July, so I guess I'll have until then to think about this one.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deimos Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 [quote user="Debra"] Luckily we haven't seen any on our property so far …[/quote]If you need some I can provide (discounts for larger quantities). My dogs (both Border Collies) will chase a Ragondin – probably more because it moves fast than anything else. On one occasion there was one sitting quietly eating on a patch of lawn near the house. Dogs approached calmly and Ragondin just ignored them, can carried on eating whilst they sniffed it. The instant I saw what was going on I rushed over, shouted at the dogs and tried to get them away. Ragondin just would not move. this Rogondin was oblivious to the world. It was a smallish one (6 to 8 inches body length plus tail) and eventually I had to push it back in the water with my boot. I would have killed it but I had no humane way to hand, particularly with the dogs still wanting to investigate.The calm individual who will not run off is the minority. Most disappear into the water quickly. I even trod on one by mistake and did not get bitten (maybe as it had a clear line of escape.Chris would know better but I tend to think that provided you leave an animal a decent escape route it is always more likely to run rather than attack – animals are much more dangerous when they cannot get away. Totally aside, some years ago I was diving off a barrier reef in Central America and asked the diving club if I should wear a wet suit (for protection as the water was very warm). My concern was all the sharp teeth, corals, things with poison, etc. Their response stuck with me: they said that if you dive with the attitude that everything is out to get you, you will be tense, will enjoy the dive less and may easily encourage something to “get you”. Dive relaxed at one with the environment and you will enjoy yourself, are unlikely to get hurt and will get far more out of the experience.” I did get stung by some fire coral but it really did not matter as I was having such a great time and the positive aspects far outweighed the discomfort. Some others (Americans) who dived at the same time, wet suits, et. al illustrated the point to us further. After the dive we talked about what we had seen and all the fascinating stuff whilst they were concerned about some scratch, an itch, what “nearly happened”. For me it is really important to be relaxed around animals as you get so much more out of experiences – true you might get bitten every now and again but the positives far outweigh the negatives. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted June 18, 2006 Author Share Posted June 18, 2006 Well blow me!The little fella only went back and killed the copyu that savaged him the other day.I shall spare you all the details but he eventually drowned it after dragging it out of the burrow.I can see another vets bill coming up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Well done the dog! Obviously it p'd him off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted June 18, 2006 Author Share Posted June 18, 2006 You see the size of it compared to Milou in my current avatar. He didn't escape unscathed though... he has a dreadfull bite to the face in the same area as before. At least the vets here are less expensive than the U.K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Hope Milou is OK. I suppose bites to the face are part of their evolutionary history, but nasty none the less, especially if they get infected. Still, maximum respect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Roy Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Go, Milou, Go !!! Hurrah for the brave little dog[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted June 18, 2006 Author Share Posted June 18, 2006 Thanks, I shall tell him that! I have given him a whole tin of sardines this evening as a treat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Typical terrier. I have a rhodesian ridgeback and all the little terriers fancy their chances with him. Just because he is big I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 Evening... The vet has given Milou more antibiotics but say's the bites will heal without stitches.I have wheelbarrowed the corpse deep into a maize field where I hope I may feast my eyes on buzzards feasting on coypu... Ty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Once the buzzards have done their bit , you can make some lovely jewelry from the teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 URGH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Well its gotta be better than Ragondin Rillettes, [+o(]I knew that I would never forget that old post by Hoddywww.ragondins.complot your revenge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wozza Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 I was walking my dog, Anoushka, a Siberian Husky , a couple of weeks ago, she darted into the woods to chase something. Upon hearing a lot of barking and snarling, I followed to find dog and coypu in brambles. Coypu was frighteningly fierce. The dog eventually picked it up and killed it by shaking it very hard. I don't think it was fully grown, but was quite a bit bigger than a cat. I now walk a route away from the woods whenever possible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Sorry, but I think this thread is quite sad. I too would look fierce and perhaps bite and defend myself if a dog or anything else for that matter was attacking and was trying to kill me. Perhaps these animals are very peaceful if not aggressively attacked and just left alone.Don't get me wrong, I am a dog lover in fact I have had two but have hust lost my very much loved dog two weeks ago and I am still heart broken [:'(]. He was in my mind not a dog but a family member. So my heart goes out to Ty Korrigan, I can only imagine how I would feel if my dog was attacked. But every animal has a right to defend itself and perhaps there is a way to train a dog not to attack and kill other animals because while doing so they may be hurt.By the way, my dog was a gentle giant with a very gentle soul and would not have hurt a flea. So I am not sure how I would cope with a dog that liked to attack and kill things. I am sure others would know better than me whether it is possible to train a dog with this sort of nature but I would imagine it would be quite possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 I think it would depend on what type of dog it is WJT and I would imagine that a terrier would be the most difficult to train with regards to this because it is what they have been used for for generations.I am sorry about your dog. What breed was he?My dog is only 10 months, we walked past a house the other day and two staffs came at him very aggresively which made him jump a bit. He then did his big tough stance and they swaggered away looking over their shoulders at him. My step father who, knew nothing about this incident took him for a walk off lead on the same route when it happened again only this time the one staff was really charging at him. My dog, who is also a gentle giant picked the staff up in his mouth and flung him in the air like a rag where he landed some meters away. I think my dog acted in self defence and if there was a tail wagging and licking strangers competition he would certainly win but at the end of the day they are animals and, when afraid, will defend themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted June 27, 2006 Author Share Posted June 27, 2006 He did it again tonight... We went out for a promenade and he disappeared off to the etang.Alot of barking from various tunnels but I gave up on him and left.In less than an hour Milou appeared carrying a baby ragondin and when he saw me he tossed it high over and over again.I have left him to his meal now...I don't think this one hurt him though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Ooer - sounds like he's gotten a bit obsessive about them now, Ty? Do you think he'll become an expert coypu hunter or there will be lots of vet's bills to come?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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