When I was younger our neighbours had a Rhodesian ridgeback they paid a fortune for because it's a man-eater.
Anyway, I had a cast on my arm at the time, and the dog came at me, so I whacked the bejesus out of it with the cast.
It would droop its tail between its legs every time it saw a man from that day on.
PS, You don't pussyfoot with an aggressive dog. You get right up in its shit and show it who is the alpha.