Oh, I always try talking to the dog first, and nineteen times out of twenty, that works. But I've had a several very unpleasant experiences in the past, so I want to be prepared. It's one of the risks of living in the country here, I think - more people let their dogs run loose, and the dogs are less likely to see someone they don't know walking on the road, so when they do, they may become teritorial and/or aggressive.

Other things that sometimes work are ignoring the dog, if it hasn't actually come too close, and looking away from it, and continuing on your way, ideally on the opposite side of the road from the dog's teritory. That way, you aren't challenging the dog. There are a couple 'mean' dogs I've had to walk past regularly on my way to a job I had a couple years ago, and this strategy worked out.