Who hasn’t unexpectedly and irrationally lost their mind for an instant? Happens to the best of us.

As for dogs, well, temporary insanity is par for the course. All kinds of triggers can ignite the dormant beast in even the most obedient dog - a squirrel, a crow, my mother-in-law without her dentures.

Take my dog, DJ, he's suave, sophisticated, a real Cool Hand Luke, yet in a heartbeat he can morph into White Fang on crystal meth. For example, he’s got this bizarre fixation with tradesmen.  An electrician's untied shoe lace, a carpenter's dragging pants and 'shiver me timbers' - the ole plumber’s butt-crack can fly him to the moon. And wait, there's more.

Yes indeed, just last weekend the critter had “an episode.” We were goofin' around in the empty school yard near my house playing find-the-kid’s-lost-hat-in-the-snow. After DJ dug up a grungy wool tuque, we engaged in what I assumed to be a harmless game of tug-and-war. Of course I won, so naturally I did a little victory jig - in hindsight I should've omitted the backflip. Meanwhile my sore loser of a dog sunk his jagged fangs into the back of my leg, (like my Uncle Arky on a side of beef).

To be fair, DJ didn’t sink his serrated choppers into me with malice, it just kinda happened, like this season’s collapse of the Canadiens. Nonetheless, it goes with the territory of teasing a terrier. He simply succumbed to the primal cry of the riled.

I should have know better with a dog like him
That he'd sink his teeth into my limb
And it's grim, hey, hey, hey, and it's grim

I’d like to say that I won’t do it again, but like a kleptomaniac in a Dollar store, I will.

The thing is, us dog folk need to understand that our pooches all share the potential to become lethal. In my case however, I can easily maintain control over DJ - he’s still only 22 pounds, albeit of unbridled fury. But what if he was 80 or 100? And what if he had that “moment” with a kid or walked in on my mother-in-law in her curlers? Tragedy for sure.

The upshot to all this is to tread carefully with your pet when playing, don’t play rough. You gotta respect The Dormant Beast that lies within, comprehend that the physical strength of a dog is mind-boggling.

It’s okay have fun with your mutt, but be gentle. Just don’t play with fire ‘cause you’re gonna get burnt

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