From a dog's perspective, one is either dominant or submissive. After a number of different breeds, I now have a rescued female pit and we savvy the concept. There is no doubt in her mind that this family is dominant over her. She's cool with that and has demonstrated so many times. She runs, off lead, behind my mountain bike and doesn't focus on anything else except following me, passing horses, people, dogs, et al without losing that singular focus. She's been attacked by other dogs a couple of times (I didn't see them first and the owners were not nearby), and she has returned to me to remedy the matter to our satisfaction-- sometimes with a dog firmly attached to her. The choice to walk in the world with a stalwart companion, whether a Pomeranian or a pit, comes with the requisite responsibilities.

That being said, a gun in the capable hands of someone makes them dominant over anyone/anything with bad intent. When choices are made to unwittingly question same, they oft write about such events in the local newspaper...

... with many unwittingly choosing to question same in the attendant comments section of the newspaper article....