Going out on a limb for a good story

Editor’s Notebook

I recently volunteered to be attacked by a police dog. Sounds like

fun, right?

Those who know me know I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie. For as

long as I can remember, if something was just a bit outside normal --

something most sane people would not consider doing -- I’ve wanted to

do it.

My mother and I have long had an agreement. I do things -- then

call her afterward and say, “Hey, guess what I just did, and I’m

fine.” Of course, she’d rather I just didn’t do it at all.

I’ve hit a lot of the “normal” activities -- sky diving, bungee

jumping, cliff diving. But each time the opportunity presents itself

to do something new I jump at it, excuse the pun.

The opportunities are few are far between.

So I readily agreed to be mauled by a dog. I figured, that’s got

to be wild -- having an animal bent on tearing you limb from limb

coming at you.

I was in for a couple surprises before, and at, the Golden West

College police academy. First, I was more than a bit nervous. Jumping

from a plane, fine. But was this was a resourceful dog, who really

wanted to thrash me?

My next surprise came when they explained that the dog would not

be bent on tearing me limb from limb. Rather, I would be like a

really big chew toy, like the ones my small dog shreds.

I found this both fascinating and very humane.

Rather than being trained to be mean-spirited dogs, police dogs

pretty much have a fun life. They get to play all the time. The

busier the police force, the more fun they have, I’d think.

So, fears still not eased, I climbed into the big padded suit that

left me stiff as a board like a squared-off Weeble Wobble that was

sure to be knocked down and prepared to be attacked.

Well, the dog, named Casper, lunged and caught me by the arm as

planned. What I wasn’t quite ready for was to be tossed back and

forth like a rag doll. Casper looked to be having a grand ol’ time

gnawing on my arm.

Well, that was quite an adventure.

And would you believe I’ve already set up my next stunt.

Right after the first of the year, I have agreed, first, to be

extracted from a wrecked car by the Huntington Beach Fire Department,

and then to be put in a flash chamber, which gets up to more than 100

degrees .

Now that’s being grilled over a story.