Dogs can be choked out, too. That said, my dog may not have the luxury of that much time so, since I also practice FMA, the GS might end up with a knife in a carotid.
On a side note, while it doesn’t specifically address saving a small dog from a big dog attack, you may find this of interest: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Defense-Against-Attack-Loren-Christensen-ebook/dp/B018PUX2DS/ref=mp_s_a_1_32?dchild=1&qid=1626921562&refinements=p_lbr_one_browse-bin%3ALoren+W.+Christensen&s=books&sr=1-32
https://www.amazon.ca/Self-Defense-Against-Attack-Loren-Christensen-ebook/dp/B018PUX2DS/ref=nodl_ “no such thing as a dog self defense expert”, alright 👍🏻