The origins of the 'Mad Dog' character can be traced back to the early-1960's. Never an especially tall or remarkable looking man, Maurice Vachon nonetheless had fire about him. During one match in Portland, he started going wild, using various brawling techniques. When a policeman stepped in front of him, Vachon even hit the officer. Backstage, promoter Don Owen assessed that the grappler looked like "mad dog". Seeing money in the idea, Vachon decided to move away from standard wrestling nuances and carve his own legacy. Becoming the archetypal heel, 'Mad Dog' would bite, claw and attempt to maim his opponents. Many years later, the man himself would state that he revelled in the idea that people were very much afraid of him. Fans were deathly scared of what might happen anytime Vachon appeared, which was very lucrative for the guy. Just like Freddie Blassie before him, Vachon filed some of his teeth to a point, and would do the same with his fingernails. This added a visual threat to his performances, and fans desperately wanted to see the villain get his comeuppance. Right up until he retired in the mid-80's, Vachon kept his real life personality separate from his wrestling one. This helped the 'Mad Dog' character become legend.