Why would the Israelite soldiers fear Ruffles enough to flee without a second thought? Sure, she does not resemble any dog breeds that would have been found in the area at the time, and thus presumably not initially recognisable as a dog, but shouldn't the barking give it away? Not to mention her being much smaller than the soldiers, who could easily shoo her off.
Yorkshire Terriers such as Ruffles are very divergent from the "typical" canine physiology. Dogs in the area at the time would have had somewhat of a 'wild' physiology (see the Canaan Dog, or feral street dogs from around the world for comparison). To the soldiers, she was an animal unlike any they had ever seen. Even though she barks like a dog, she looks different enough from a dog that her sight overrides any "typical behavior around dogs" response that the soldiers should express. Having no real frame of reference, the soldiers could have ascribed additional ferocious qualities to Ruffles (small animals that produce innocuous noises can be deadly too), and fled accordingly.
How on Earth did Ruffles survive? Yorkshire Terriers aren't exactly known for their survival instincts. She also seems to be of the long-haired variety, which would have caused her great trouble in the heat of the Levant.
Perhaps people took her in and cared for her from time to time.
