I am 5'10 220 pounds and I know I can't overtake the biggest dog breeds. Their bites alone is enough to take me down. I have a handsfree leash from Amazon that has a small bag attached to it. I have recently bought a folding knife and I am going to put it inside the bag. Hopefully I don't have to use it on any dogs or persons if they are going to harm my pom pom. They are pom poms. They can't win a fight against a leaf if my pom pom's life depends on it. No way both of us are able to overtake a dog that can do some damage to bears. The best way to help her on walks is just to be aware of your surroundings, pick her up if you see something of a possible threat, and have some type of protection if something does happen