+1 on both of those. I've never lived in a densley populated area but I do know 2 things for sure. My daily driver is a big old 4X4 truck with winch, "battering ram" of a bumper and all the goodies weighing just under 700lbs. Luckily my daily commute is only about 15 minutes and driving DW's fuel effecient little 6 cylinder car for a week saved me about a whopping $6.00 difference. On the other hand if I make the decision to lock it in 4 wheel drive I AM getting where I intend to go and the only thing that can stop it is a bigger more solid truck or heavy machinery. There is no substitute for a truck and a dog can be a big deterrent to a lot of people related problems. Doesn't even have to be a big or "scary" dog. Just having one gives a lot of people pause when thinking ill intent. It will bark and make noise at someone lurking around and be far more likely to notice them before you do and even a timid quiet dog will tend to distract someone that doesn't know the animal if they are trying something.