Allow me to suggest the most effective thing. After the ride, go back in your car and tell the asshat owner to keep his dog tied up.

I've had dogs charge me and I've charged right back at them. Takes them mostly by surprise and they hit the brakes and turn tail, probably not the best way but it has worked. I probably should carry a small thing of pepper spray, but I'm to lazy to buy it. I do avoid a road where there lives a behemoth rottweiler though.

I've been chased by many a dog, as well as nearly knocked off the bike by a couple due to either attempting to avoid them coming at me or trying to avoid a bite. I'm also a dog lover, and have had many as pets throughout my life.

My view on it is that if they chase once, I'll let it slide so long as there's no harm to me. If it happens again, I'll call police and file a report of the owners failing to control their dog(s) and keep them in their yard. I don't call animal control, as I prefer to leave it to the police to make that call. If it happens more than once, then I'll either find another route or if that isn't possible, take other measures.

I do my best to avoid injuring the dog. But, at times, if you can't outrun them you have to do something. Whether it be mace, or something else, it has to be done. Some states have laws where if dogs are chasing deer, they can legally be shot. I think the same should apply if a dog is chasing a human. Sad as it is to see an animal put down, it is the fault of the owner for they failed to control their dog and they should face legal repercussions as well.

I frequently have run ins with dogs, as the places available for safe riding in my city are pack-full of people walking their dogs. So I developed two strategies that have so far been bulletproof:

1- If the dog is relatively away from me, but giving me those nasty pre-attack looks, I give the nasty looks back at them and yell at the top of my lungs. It never failed in changing their minds.

2- If the dog is sneaky and gets really close to me before I notice it, I grab my tire pump - which has one of those extendable, floppy tips - and try to whack the mofo in the head before it gets me.

I love dogs, but after I saw what one of them did to a biker friend of mine several years ago (he basically had to quit biking), I don't take chances with them.

We call them "dog-ervals" and sprint to win. Seriously, a loud, authoritative "NO" helps, I once instinctively reached for my water bottle and squirted the dog and it stopped in its tracks. Don't know if that works in general as n=1.