Is this ok?

My husband killed a dog that attacked our son. He basically did this with his bare hands and a knife, He called it a primal battle. He buried the carcass in the woods and later he dug up the skull. He showed it to me and said this is what tried to kill...

our son. He says he respects the dog and even pet the skull and appologized for having to kill it. He says it should be kept as a trophy or a testement of protecting the family.

We are both Native American and I know this is part of the beliefs. Still, I am somewhat bothered. The skull is very evil looking and the teeth long and sharp. It looks alost demonic. I know it was just a dog and that it tried to bite our 2 year old son. Some of this confuses me. I would have attacked the dog too if it attacked my son in front of me., but the ritual, I would have probably just left it alone.

My husband is saying that 1,000 years ago this question would not be asked. And I know he is right about that.

This is absurd, this is not normal at all. No person would kill a living, breathing creature. I understand your husband got very mad (thats okay, noone is allowed to touch your son) but still. This is creeping me out.

thats kinda sad. did you ever think that your son was bothering the dog? and if your going to kill the dog, do it in a respectful mannor, not a savage one, I would have left the dog to rest in peace, instead of taking its head off!!! my goodness...

omg!!! that is really sick. I am so sorry that your son was attacked though. I don't know what I would have done in that situation but I def. would have called the cops. That's really sad though. I wouldn't have touched the dog though. That's really sick...that your husband took its head off...

 
Your husband says that 1,000 years ago ...

Would he like to go back to the living conditions of 1,000 years ago? Is he willing to give up all the modern conveniences and technology?

Some times as cultures merge and grow, traditions of the past become outdated and must, themselves, be buried.

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That sounds kinda neat. To be honest, I like an individual who can reach back to a more primal state and commit such a noble act of savagery. Your husband is quite the traditionalist, but in a such a festive way! Very brutal... but at least your son is alright, and dogs don't live as long as humans anyways.

maybe you should put the dog head back with the dog body... my gosh. its not difficult!!

I would have left hte dod alone and o would never mess with a dead body! there spirt could come back even a dogs! if you want to be haunted then you go ahead and keep it but there is a great chance that the dogs spirit will come back for revenge

I don't understand the ritual either but I think he could consider your feelings and place it where you don't come across it often.

u could've just called the pound your husband didnt need to beat the living crap out of the dog. plus, your kid could've been buggin the dog so it may not have been all of the dogs fault. we live in the 21st century and there are more humaine ways to deal with your problems. and as for the skull? just put it back because I doubt the dog likes that you kept his head as a trophie I know I would be pissed.

Everybody can sit here and say that they wouldn't of killed the dog but until you're in that situation you honestly don't know what you would do.

If any one of my children were being attacked by any kind of animal I would do whatever I had to to make it stop...and that includes killing the animal. My children will always come before an animal and there is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do to protect them.

As for keeping the skull...well, if that is your belief then why shouldn't you do it? The only thing that I would say about that is maybe you two could compromise on where the skull is put. Since you don't want to see it then maybe it should go somewhere more private so it doesn't make you uncomfortable but still respects your husband's beliefs.

to lordelrod...so where is the dogs owner and what gave you the right to take the life of another living being.?...if the dog attacked your son, there could have been a reason.. ever think that the dog had RABIES!!! if you really were interested in protecting your son , you should have had the dog quarantined until they could determine whether or not rabies was present, and now, dopey, because you killed it and buried it , you'll probably never know if it had rabies or not...see, the only real way to detect rabies if the dog doesn't display symptoms, is to put it down and test the brain tissue , where the disease hides..but now there ISN'T any brain tissue and your son should probably start receiving rabies shots...just in case...nope, to me this seems like a testosterone driven event, just bad judgement on your part..or you were really pissed that day an dfelt like killin somethin anyway..regardless, you didnt do anything right after you got the dog off the kid..I hope that kid is alright...better think about getting him to a doctor, oh and after reading this.. no , I would NEVER vote for you as president...(in resonse to lordelrods later question) and don't tell too many people about this, you could be looking at animal abuse charges...and as far as it understanding the reason it was going to die, you said it looked at you with its brown eyes and understood? you have NO idea what that dog was thinking so dont even go there..YOU understood that you wanted to KILL it.. thats all...

omg that's not okay your husband can go to jail for doing that.

Your husband committed FELONY animal abuse. If the dog tried to bite your son, then remove the child or turn the hose on the dog. I am an animal abuse investigator and if this happened in my state, he would be arrested.
He sounds unstable, native american beliefs aside.

If my 2 year old child was being attacked (and I believe this was Pitbull attack, wasn't it?)...I'm afraid the mama grizzly would come out in me, too. How much time do you suppose it takes for a large dog to kill a small child?? 15 seconds? 20? There is no time to run in and make call to animal control or the cops... an enraged dog, doesn't just back off, either...the only thing a person could do is get between the dog and the child... I say this...and I am a doting dog lover...all dogs, including Pitbulls...but I've also seen the damage a red-zone dog can do...

It doesn't matter if a 2 year old may have bothered the dog...Two years is just a baby, a toddler...Situations come up in life, that can put a person into a position to do something, that maybe just yesterday they would have sworn they'd NEVER do.

One thing I see here, and understand, is the honoring of the animal, in a Native way... honoring it's being... it's lifeforce...In everyday American culture, a man would have said...There, you SOB...you no good mutt...try and hurt MY child...blah blah blah...thrown it to the side of the road, and walked away, never thinking about that dog again...unless it was to brag about killing it...

As for bringing the skull into the house...honor or no honor...keep it in an out building, please...I wouldn't want it in my house either.

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phrannie -
what did the dog do to the child. Did he actually bite him or was the dog trying to bite him? Either way, your first action is to get the child to safety. That done, you call the police and let them handle it.
This guy's wife states...
He basically did this with his bare hands and a knife, He called it a primal battle.
This isn't normal behavior and there are laws in place in almost every state to prevent this type of animal abuse.
It sounds as if this guy got off on the way the killing was performed.

Utopia...it isn't easy to get a child to safety with a dog hanging off it's leg...A Pitbull, in a rage is something to reckon with...I'd think you of all people (with your vast experience) would know that...He used what he had to defend the baby...There are many, many questionable stories (one latest is the fire chief who killed a 6 month old GSD with a rock because he said it attacked him...THAT is questionable, no doubt)...However, this story did not seem questionable... it takes only ONE bite...a fraction of a second, to kill a toddler...You don't just reach in and take the focus of the rage away...you don't run off to get the hose (like that would do much good)...you don't run the neighbors, or into the house to call someone...

I lived a long time on the Colville reservation...he saw it as a battle man vs. enraged beast...fought basically barehanded (close contact), not with a gun...That's why he calls it a primal battle... it isn't something he'd go out a seek...If you knew anything at all about Native lore and respect of god's creatures, you'd understand what he's actually saying. You'd also know that communion with animals is taught from the cradle... They never took life without great respect and they NEVER wasted life (not even a bone)...The culture on the reservations has not changed much...and that history is highly valued...

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Phrannie - I read in an earlier question where he said the dog had nicked his child's cheek. That is a far cry from a dog hanging off it's leg. And if you believe that a pitbull in a rage is something to deal with, you also know that any dog in a rage would inflict more harm than a nick. If a dog in a rage got that close to a baby's cheek, there would have been more than a nick. You might want to read his other answers regarding this. It was not quite the vicious attack you describe.
A dog, especially a pit mix, that wanted to attack to kill or maim would have done more than nick his child's face.
And with your vast experience, you know that also. I am sure that we both have experienced a dog nipping at children in warning. If a dog was vicious, it would have inflicted more harm with the first bite, much more than a nick.
With your vast experience, you know that a nick is a warning.
Based on the facts that I gathered from his other answers regarding this incident, the reaction of killing the dog with his bare hands and a knife seems questionable to me.
And yes, I know little about native american lore but I do know when someone kills a dog for nicking his child's cheek, that that is excessive behavior. If we all killed dogs for nicking our children's cheeks, we wouldn't have the overpopulation of dogs and the shelters would be less over-crowded.

So...point me to the link that tells the WHOLE story...all I've read is in this thread (copy and past the address bar)...please.

Nevermind, I found it...

So...lordelrond...was I over confident in your ability to read a dog's body language?? A nick could be a accident in playing, not even a aggressive posture or warning...Gawd knows I pack plenty of scars from a playful and accidental hook of the tooth...

Utopia, I apologize...I hadn't seen that other post, it came after I posted in that thread...

What was the point of your primal battle? Doesn't sound particularily primal to me...an engraged beast goes right in for the kill...period...Sounds to me like you need some re-lessons from your elders...at this point I'm feeling sick that I ever stuck up for you...No one I ever knew would use THIS for a justification to pump their ego...ESPECIALLY those I lived with on the Colville.

So...how DO you justify this so-called battle? You obviously cannot read animals...and few children get thru the age 10 without a nick or a scar from something...Even a warning bite leaves more than a nick...especially a dog with a more than ample bite force upon baby skin...I think this dog died for NOTHING, and it sickens me.

A rare thing when I agree with Utopia...and on this I do...and NO, I wouldn't let that skull be anywhere but the ground in was buried in...there was no honor here...more likely GUILT...and that he should have plenty of! I sure as hell hope you didn't do this in front of your baby...pretty horrifying, even to one who is so young.

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If anyone is in danger then what they do in self defence is acceptable although I do believe animals and oubviusly people shoudnt be killed for no reason

I got bit by the same dog twice, as I got older I understood that he didnt like me going close to his face, it must have intimated him and so I havent done it since.

Animals have limits just like humans they react irasionaly sometimes if you go in there personal space.

You need to know your pet like you know anyone else so you know how far to push them. Animals should be treated with respect x

Ok. First of all my husband told the owner and gave her money to compensate the loss. Actually it was the dogs owner who could have been charged. My husband did what was legal to protect our son. Some idiot even reported the whole thing to welfare and once we explained what happened the welfare guy said any dog that attacks a child should be put down.
For you who are defending the dog, first my husband loves dogs. We have two and he babies them. Second, if that happened to your child would you just let the dog maul or maybe even kill him? There was no time to report the dog or call someone. Our son wasn't bothering the dog, he only wandered a few feet arround a fence corner where the dog was laying in bushes. Our son didn't even know the dog was there. The dog was hiding and sprang out at him.
My main question was about the aftermath with the skull. I have no problem at all with my husband killing the dog to protect our child.

Phranie, you know what's going on.

For anyone else who is talking about animal abuse you have to realize the dogs owner could have been charged and the dog would most likely have been put down with a needle. She had no beware of dog sign and no warning that it was a guard dog.