It's funny - the big scary dogs have the worst reputations, but the little poodle mix I used to have was the spunkiest and most aggressive dog I've ever had! I loved her to bits - she was the smartest little thing. But I'll tell you what - she was more protective of this house than I ever would have imagined. She'd find every way possible to get out of the house and the fenced area to try to physically protect our property from anybody who came near it. And she was so adorable that people automaticlly wanted to come up and pet her, but unless they were properly introduced she'd growl and snap.

I didn't think of her spunkiness as a bad thing - it was part of her wonderful personality. I just did my best to keep her out of trouble, and told people to introduce themselves properly before trying to touch her. I never would have taken her anywhere where there were a lot of dogs without having her on a leash, though, and anybody with a dog who has such a personality should always keep them leashed unless they're familiar with the people and dogs around them.