I have, on two separate occasions, stepped in front of moving vehicles to protect my dog. Once I defended her bare-handed against another dog that had escaped its yard. I like to imagine that, given the opportunity, my dog would do the same for me. Sometimes, walking her alone at night, I wonder what would happen if we met an unsavory character in some back alley. Would my dog’s mere presence discourage a would-be attacker? Would she attract help with her barking? If it came down to it, would she defend me, tooth and claw?

The reality is that all of these are unlikely outcomes since my dog, Minky, is a 12-pound Brussels Griffon. She has, despite her Napoleon complex, a