Okay, okay, those people were crazy

I once managed to fight three large feral dogs without a weapon. Didn't kill them, but I ran them off and wasn't bleeding.

But one goose kicked my ass because I just couldn't do anything to it that mattered. Ever try to punch a goose? They DNGAF. There are zero fucks in their tiny heads to give. You try to punch them and they just flap harder. Try to grab their necks, they just flap harder and you miss. If I could have ever gotten ahold of it, yeah, it would have been dead, but it's all just a flurry of feathers and beak in your face, moving constantly.

Dogs? That's easy. Stay mobile, use your reach for kicks, go after eyes and noses. Even feral dogs will quit after a little pain, assuming they don't have the numbers to just take you down via coordinated attacks. A single dog though? Nah, at worst you get an arm chewed up while you use the other to attack. If they're biting, they're close enough and steady enough to hurt.