Mike, I love my dogs and would never want to see any harm come to them, but I also trust their instincts when it comes to the natural world. In the situation where my dog saved me from getting bit, I was working on a hot tub, laying down and the damn snake snuck up and was about 3' from me. I was getting mad at my husky cause she kept pushing me into the wall, when I stood up to give her a piece of my mind and a stern look I saw the snake and heard the rattle.
I then picked up the dog and had to hand her to my wife over the hot tub so the dog wouldn't get bit, then gently removed the snake from the porch. Neither the dog nor the snake where harmed...not a snake fan but I hate mice and rats even more so as long as they are not huge I won't kill them. That said if I see a monster rattler its gonna be supper time.