Thought I'd post a pic of my dog Rufus (Bullmastiff).
He can't do tricks like my childhood dog, a sheltie, he can't carry things, fetch, hunt or even swim like our yellow lab did, but this old guy (9 yrs. old, large breeds, he's 150 lbs, typically don't live as long as smaller dogs) would literally give his own life to ensure that no harm would come to our family (Kubota included /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif). He also would not win any "beauty" contests but I could never expect, in my lifetime, to have another dog as faithful and devoted as he is. That part comes with the breed, I believe, as his father has similar, but not as profound, attributes. If you ever met this dog, I guarantee you wouldn't forget him any time soon.
Thanks for letting me toot his horn.
David