One option that has worked on my commute is to make friends with the dogs.

Since we comute on the same route every day, we see the same dogs every day, now we visit friends on the ride every day. There is one we race, a few we pet, and one we squirt because the owner doesn't him chasing bikes.

We also know the dogs owners, the first time Fido comes out we go talk to the owners in a friendly way. Works wonders.

I also carry a few dog treats for bribery. That made us a lot of 4-legged friends.

I have a completely different frame of mind for dogs while on the road bike, but hey, this is the commuting thread.

Dave