What can we learn from Alexa Glatch?

While scanning the news I cam upon a totally unrelated New York Times article that mentioned that US tennis player "[Alexa] Glatch, a 6-footer from Newport Beach, Calif., might have caused trouble at a Grand Slam earlier had she not broken her right wrist and left elbow in 2005 when she crashed her motor scooter while being chased by a dog."

Does anyone recall how to deal with a pesky dog that wants to chase your scooter?

1) kick it with your foot if it get's near (if you are on a manual scoot use your non-braking foot)
2) honk your horn, yell and stand on the floorbards to make yourself appear bigger
3) gun it (especially if it is a 50cc model) as soon as you see the animal begin to chase
4) Approach the animal slowly, then speed up.

Ah, too easy! You know it is #4. Why not 1-3?
1) Although you shouldn't kick an animal at all, you don't want to let it get close enough to touch (i.e. bite you) and kicking throws off your balance
2) Are you kidding?
3) If you gun it when the animal begins to give chase, it will accelerate along with you and likely catch you. Your increasing speed will only bait it.
4) If you approach slowly, the animal will relax and approach you slower. Or, it may even slow down in order to match you. Once it sets a slow pace, you can accelerate and go around.

Whatever you do, don't panic. You are smarter than the dog and your ankle-high motorcycle boots can handle a little roughing up.

You are wearing the proper protective shoes, right?

Well, that's for next time!