Many, many moons ago when I was about 12 years old, we lived in Tupelo, Mississippi. We had a dog: a chihuahua named Chico. Kind of a cool dog, actually; not one of those "always shaking" chihuahuas.
Anyway, there lived in the neighborhood (and NOBODY seemed to know who owned him...) the BIGGEST, jet-black, most bad-ass German shepherd you've ever seen............I mean you could easily saddle this thing........named "Rommel". He was just a frightening sight, that beast. However, we knew a little secret about the much-feared Rommel.
He was bestest-buddies with Chico. Yep. These two were fast friends. Probably drinking buddies. The monster and the midget. They were hilarious together........but they were truly really, really good friends.
Now, here was their favorite gig together:
Picture our garage, door open. Some poor slob of a neighborhood dog goes wandering by outside on the sidewalk. Chico.............little dude goes running just outside the garage and yaps like all hell, trying his best to pick a fight. Passer-by dog takes the bait, stops, starts the nasty low growl, baring fangs, etc., etc. You know the look, the position. Chico keeps eggin' 'im on....
......and JUST as the poor sap decides to trot up the driveway to kick little loudmouthed Chico's ass...........
.......out of the shadows, totally unseen till now, comes Rommel. All sixteen-foot of 'im. He slowly walks out behind Chico, Chico raising hell............Rommel just standing there with that "Go ahead, make my day" look on his face as he glares at the poor bastard at the end of the driveway.
Wayward dog invariably freezes, stops snarling, tucks tail, ears lay back, eyes downcast, looking rapidly left and right..........scared spitless. He/she backs out slowly.........then runs like hell.
Chico gets a triumphant "I'm gonna chase you down and kick your ass!!!" look on his face, all excited.......Rommel just sort of glares. Then, the two of 'em silently turn around and trot back into the garage, into the shadows, waiting to do it all over again.
I used to watch 'em do this for hours.............