Working freelance in Africa I borrowed a lump of dog for a while. I don't know what breed it was but it filled the back seat of the Land Cruiser. Lazy old thing, but it knew if it curled its lip and growled a bit, people would go away. It suited me fine, but I heard later that it had been clubbed by burglars in its owners' house. The woman of the house slept with a gun under the pillow after that.
Lots of people out there keep dogs for protection. Friends in Pretoria got 3 - one called Goliath, the size of a small pony. However the one the natives were most wary of was their border collie because he had odd coloured eyes. Something to do with superstition - but he wouldn't harm a fly.