Thank God I have not encountered dog problems. (There is one house that lets it's dogs outside and they lay in the road, but I haven't been chased ... yet.) I take exception to the statement that some dogs are dense ... they are not dense, they have not been taught to be good neighbors by their dense owners! Dogs are not born understanding language and human expectations, they must be taught.

And, for that reason, I would circle back in my car if necessary, get their address and report them to the dog warden. If your animal control stinks, then I'd call the police. And if the police appeared sluggish, I'd tell them that I bike that route frequently, and if a bicyclist ever gets hurt because of the dog and the town had failed to address the problem, there could be legal problems for both the dog owner AND the town. Using a form of the phrase "legal action" usually gets things rolling.

I live in a neighborhood with more than our share of inconsiderate a**hole dog owners (let the dog out at 5:30 am to bark, let the dog run across the street and kill the neighbor's lawn, etc.). It's an amazing thing.