I don't know how a dog thinks and don't care to learn the hard way.You should have been on the phone to the police, did you have your cell phone, even though no weapon? I would have also had a little talk with the owner. Unfortunately, the dog only does what it wants to naturally do. The owner is the problem for not controlling his animal. In my county they are pretty serious about stray dogs after some attacks across the county several years ago. I'm in a rural area and many land owners will kill a loose dog without blinking an eye. Plus that gives them a little practice before deer season starts.