Newbie here - ideas, please!

[sundial]

I've been doing pretty well until I got chased by two pit bulldogs yesterday.

What you have described is pack behavior with the intention to maim or kill a perceived victim. This is a very dangerous situation developing.

Please contact animal control. Any dog that exhibits this behavior should be quarantined and evaluated by a professional behaviorist or a vet. Until the dogs are captured, find an alternative route that is away from the territory of these dogs. Bear spray may be effective but there's the potential you could be exposed to it if the winds should shift. When dogs are poised for an attack, it will take much more than water squirted from a bottle and mace may not deter them.

I wanted to add that there are several positive cases for rabies in dogs in our county in Arkansas. A rabid dog will become more aggressive as the disease progresses. Be ever watchful for any unusual behavior in wild animals as well as dogs and cats in your neighborhood.