Well, if you can't concealed-carry, having a big dog around is pretty good, too. From the Daily Herald (IL):
Naperville police are crediting a woman's 100-pound dog with saving her from further harm by an assailant near her apartment.Sgt. Joel Truemper said the woman, who police did not name, had taken her dog for a short walk around 11:30 p.m. Thursday when she was jumped from behind, knocked to the ground, choked and punched in the face.
The woman's dog, a Great Pyrenees, bit the attacker in the face and chest, she told police.
Truemper said there was no blood trail left by the assailant and a check of area hospitals for men seeking treatment for dog bites was unsuccessful.
"Instead of letting the guy get chewed up by her dog, she grabbed the dog and ran back into her apartment to call police," Truemper said.
According to the American Kennel Club's Web site, the Great Pyrenees is "territorial and protective of his flock or family when necessary. His general demeanor is one of quiet composure, both patient and tolerant."