Bruiser wagged his tail and ran toward the hedge, following the scent of a wild animal. He stuck his nose into the leaves and came face to face with it: a winged lizard the size of a cat.
The creature did not move, and that bothered Bruiser. He prodded it with his paw. It answered with a puff of fire that singed through Bruiser’s fur and made him howl.
He limped over to the man, expecting sympathy. Instead, the man went inside and returned to tend Bruiser with a stinging liquid. He should have known. His master was only human.
Author’s note: My dog had a few run-ins with bumblebees, which didn’t end well for either animal. I wondered what might happen if a dog met a small animal that was a bit more dangerous.