[Para Bellum]

When we were kids, a german shepard killed our dog on christmas eve. I was bitten twice by dogs as a kid.

A while after I started carrying, I found myself being alone in the woods having a pack of five dogs charging at me at full speed. I drew and waited until the dogs were about 20 yds away. Then I fired a warning shot between me and the dogs. WOW. I didn't even see the dogs turn. In the blink of an eye they had changed their full-speed-charging-direction 180°.

I wouldn't use pepper spray, a baton or a knife against dogs. If there's time, I'll fire a warning shot (always into the ground please*). If there's no more time to risk, I'll shoot the dogs until they're no longer a threat. There are hundreds of casualties every year in the countries where firearms are shot into the air at celebrations.

Dogs can be lethal. Act with that in mind.

*) Please always keep in mind that a bullet shot into the air comes down with almost the same speed it goes up. Any firearm's bullet is lethal even on it's way down. So if you feel the need to fire a warning shot, shoot into the ground. If you shoot into the air you can kill somebody a mile or more away.