I was attacked and mauled by a very large German shepherd as a small boy. He charged so hard he knocked me and my bike into the ditch beside the road, then proceeded to chew on me till the old bat that owned him dragged him off of me. Nothing at all was done to her or the dog as a consequence, because her son was the county sheriff's deputy for the area.
Some months later I finally got fed up with not being able to ride my bike to the store anymore because I'd have to pass by the rotten old bat's house, and dealt with the matter. I took my Dad's pistol, rode to her house, stopped, and when the dog came charging across the road at me I emptied it into him, putting the last round into the top of his head at my feet.
Boy, howdy! Talk about a sh1tstorm that started. It was worth it.
I remain very wary of dogs while on a bicycle to this day.