I lived and grew up “in the wild”. Log cabin, no electricity, hunting and fishing, chopping down trees, etc.
I also have lived in very urban settings.
In both you will find the greatest threat to you and your families survival and well being is other human beings “strangers” - and one of the greatest assets to you and your families survival and well being is a trusted and useful canine.
Now a trusted and useful human trumps the canine in almost any given situation - but how likely is it that a drowning stranger is or will become a trusted and useful asset?
There is much truth in that.