The Japanese Akita-inu Seiko-san
Seiko in the spring time... making believe he's as sweet as can be. Of course, this is the same dog that got me sued when he whupped a neighbor's dog... with the neighbor still attached to the end of his dog's leash!... so how sweet can he be?
Actually, he was a love of a dog who liked the guys, but loooved the women. Knick-named "The Goose" for his penchant for coming up behind women and goosing them with his nose... and he'd stand there with that grin on his face as the startled "goosee" shrieked in protest. He was typical Akita-inu male, weighed 120 pounds, and was very protective of his turf. Accompanied by his courtesan Kiku-san, he diligently guarded the Thomas Temple gates, keeping the occupants safe as we slept with doors and windows open to cooling breezes.
Age finally caught up with him. He lived to the ripe old age of 14, but then quickly failed. When the time was right for him, I called his favorite vet (a woman, of course) to come to the house to put him to sleep. Thus Seiko quietly died at home. That was 1998. He has been sorely missed ever since. On quiet nights one can hear him patrolling the house downstairs, keeping intruders at bay solely by virtue of his life reputation.