Originally Posted by bautieri

I've had time to ponder the situation myself and I'll be the first to admit that my initial reactions to such an event is to disable the aggressor or sprint away from it. If the pepper spray works for you and it's the route you choose then I wish you safe passage.

However, I will say that you need to consider the message you are sending to the dog and I would also like to remind you that typically these dogs are owned by the lowest common denominator of humanity. A responsible pet owner would not have Fluffy out on the loose. If the owner sees you harm his/her beloved (neglected) pet be prepared to be on the business end of a Buick or a firearm because in their narrow Pabst fueled world little Fluffy would never harm a fly. Just be , both with the dog and dog owners.