I've got bitten once. Dogs chased me a lot of times. Small wound. Couldn't have cared less if there was not a very slight chance of diseases.

They seem to have their area which they don't leave. If you got the speed thats good.
I've thinked about spraying them with water. Or get a whistle if that would work who knows. It's worse if you got food on you. I think even putting your food inside plastic makes dogs less likely to get interested even if they probably notice.

Some of dogs interested in poor bicyclist are real quiet and friendly and just beg for food with big eyes. Maybe they are raised better or just less hungry. Others are horrible beasts. A couple of times a big dangerous looking dog got too excited it would have been scary otherwise. Good they were locked up.

I think the touring crowd have most experience with this.