I met a police dog trainer from a former USSR satellite country. She was active during the communist era and had a lot of horror stories. She had to work with the dogs to find organ trafficking victims etc (done by commies) and the babies she found was heartbreaking. And now she trains protection. Even a small working dog could alert you to things
But it takes a while to train a puppy, so it's good to think ahead. Humans have had working dogs with them for ages - we might go back to a situation where it is helpful.
And for women, having even a medium size dog at her side as a buffer between men may be necessary... guys aren't always well-mannered. I've noticed that male dogs tend to bond well and be more protective. Female dogs may be better hunters.