[real saxophonist]

If you're on a bicycle and a dog chases you, all you have to do is squirt it in the face with the water bottle. And I mean water, not ammonia or any of that stupid crap. It disrupts the OODA Loop, dog usually stops in its tracks.

The dog's just being a dog. You don't have to shoot it, or kick it, or pepper spray it...

[GingisK]

...all you have to do is squirt it in the face with the water bottle...

I did just that one time, and was rewarded by my shoe being removed with some gouges on my foot. These incidents are situational, never categorized by "the correct thing to do".

Human life and safety trumps all animals. That is the final analysis. Dogs should not have unfettered access to the public.

[Fred Hayek]

I have since learned how to read dogs. If the dog wants to just check me out, I stop, let him sniff, and then I’m on my way. There are other times the dog just wants someone to run with. You can tell by the “doggie smile”. Smile back.

[huldah1776]

I would carry raw hamburger.