Y'all think inside the box too much.

Most dogs are stronger than us humans, pound for pound, but lack the leverage and dexterity we have. The best approach I've found for subduing individual dogs without a weapon is to grapple them to the ground, get your weight on them, and stay on top. Yes, you will get bit, you are going to anyways, but by using your weight and dexterity you will gain an advantage that will soon have him succombed. All dogs have a weak spot, it is the dimple between their neck and their collarbone. There is an unprotected nerve plexus there, similar to our bracchial plexus. If you apply pressure in that dimple area with fingers, elbow, a stick, whatever, it causes them unbearable pain, more perhaps than even going for the eyes. If you don't get the dogs down and pinned then they will bite and flail and do a lot more damage.

For packs of dogs, I've found fire to be another suitable deterrent. A can of WD-40 and a bic will cast one heck of a nice flame in a broad cone out to as much as 15 feet. Dog fur burns pretty easily, and if he catches on fire, he's going to be distracted enough to not want to continue the fight much. Once they realize they are burning, they generally take off running. Bears don't seem to like fire that much either.

Ben, who grew up as a pyromaniac.