jOhn if their dog bites you you are only within your rights to kill the dog, not the owner (although I've met some very irresponsible dog owners who deserved it!).
As to the rest of the thread I don't like it when people in the bar chatter when a very quiet singer is singing, I always find that a group of VERY loud players and singers just before the quiet person can help to abate the noise (it's the shock value I think!).