Interesting story here about man's best friend:

(WBZ) A Revere woman landed in the hospital Wednesday night, protecting her dog.

63 year-old Helen Lovell walks her purebred pug every night on Walnut Avenue. Around 8 p.m. Wednesday night, a man with a knife approached Lovell and her dog, Benjamin. The armed man demanded she turn over her pet. But Lovell refused.

That's when the suspect slashed her in the hand and chest.

Lovell was taken to Widden Memorial Hospital in Everett and treated for superficial wounds. Now police are searching for the man who slashed her.

By the way, the dog, 10 month-old Benjamin, is just fine.

But I have to say that, much as I believe that humans should be allowed to keep whatever animals we might want as pets, it strikes me that a primary purpose of the dog is as a protector. And I love pug dogs. They are incredibly cute animals.

But....

I'm inclined to agree with my blogfather Jeff Soyer that overly frivolous animals just aren't, well, the original idea of what a dog is all about.

Folks, dogs aren't meant to be washed and Vasolined and trimmed and blown-dry. They should be chasing a Frisbee or running a mole to ground or sitting by and keeping comfort for your child when they think the world is against them.

Years ago, a friend and roommate had a fussy, fluffy little white dog, which somehow came equipped with a very effeminate looking red collar. The dog was a male, and the neighborhood was bad. My friend endured taunts from young thugs, who'd say things like "Isn't he cuuuute?!" Fortunately, he was never attacked. I had another roommate whose appearance invited similar attention -- except when he'd walk with the pit bull I had at the time instead of the fluffy little white dog. On one occasion the catcalls started from a distance. But when he got closer, the young thugs made menacing gestures and eye contact -- as if to test him and the dog. All she had to do was bare her teeth and snarl. They got off the sidewalk fast.

In an ideal world, people and dogs would mind their own business. But I like dogs who take care of business when others don't mind theirs.