Healer Protection : in the job description?

I'm wondering, after running with a few very, very, very bad hunters on my paladin in the past, do most hunters believe protecting the healer is in the job description?

As a hunter, I believe its part of my job when I'm in a group to watch out for the healer in case something goes wrong, a mob blind-sides us and goes for the squishy lil healer (trees and holy pallys included), or the tank has just too much on him or her at the time to deal with another threat. I believe that is where my job kicks in, sending the pet, with growl switched on to taunt the mob OFF the healer, onto the pet, which I can keep up with my heals, scaling back the DPS a bit just to make sure that the mob is on the pet, going to STAY on the pet, at least until the tank can get around to it.

I've done this in so many groups, and had so many healers tell me thank you. What the heck? I'm just doing my job. Is it because the first hunter I ever took lessons from (The Guy) was originally a warrior and that has set my stance as squishy protector? Or is it just that some hunters don't have the focus split capable to handle DPS, Pet, Trap, AND healer protection, while calling out breaking sheeps and lost saps, and Pats Incoming? Yes, I do all of that on a regular basis, while making sure I don't jump the tank in threat and my pet hasn't gone tearing off down the hall after something it shouldn't.

I'm literally tracking so many things at once that its normal for me... perhaps that's why I like trying to kite one thing, freeze another, pet on the third and fourth and something else just walked in? I feel alive while handling more mobs that I should... and I don't even have the luxury of Fear to help me out if things really go wrong.

Some have suggested its because I'm a girl that I can multi-task so well. I think that's a load of BS. My guy can track things just as well, and has slightly faster reaction times than I do. Of course, I re-arrange my keys every once in a while so I don't become completely bored and button mash happy... so that might have something to do with it. I can also split the vocals in any song down to one vocalist and sing with just that if I know the song well enough, I can also filter out all other insturments in a band to focus on just the guitar, or drums, or any other insturment, and I don't even need to know the piece to do that.

I wonder, how many other hunters do what I do, take on healer protection whenever they step into a group, its never asked for, but something you take on, because you can and because it will keep your group running smoothly?