"On the event that I can push the dog around, do I push it toward the yard it escaped from or away and out of it’s territory. Which one will cause it to break off it’s attack first?"

There are probably at least four or five answers, all of which start with 'it depends'. I don't know what the official answer/use of a bite stick is.

Type of dog/type of biting behavior would probably influence how you would react. There are the Pit-types who tend to grab hold and hold on, and I wouldn't be surprised if the bite stick is mainly aimed at these, as there are so many pit breeds around. I could see you guiding (push or pull) a dog like this with the stick.

Other breeds are bite/release, bite/release types of biters. I suspect that most fear-biters are these. An aggressive bite/release type of dog seems to keep trying for a better grip, or just to deliver multiple bites. I can't even imagine a bite stick being of use here.

If you have any stick and can hold the dog off with it, and the owner is running to help, tell him to grab the dog's back legs "like a wheelbarrow" and back off with him. Tell him to keep him moving toward his yard or other enclosure.

You can use this same method if your dog gets into a dog fight IF there is a person for each dog who are willing to do it. (I've seen it used and have used it myself, and it works very well.) It does NOT work when there are two dogs (or more) fighting and you only drag off one of them, because the other dog(s) become the attackers. The really big advantage to this method is avoiding the biting end of the dog. Even your own dog will bite you without determining who he is biting.

I still think making friends (at least to tolerance levels) of dogs you see routinely is the best thing to do.

The wild card is the strange dog -- you don't know if he's just threatening, or if he really means business. If he gets within 15 feet and you've got pepper spray, I would say to use it.

Sue