I think if I were in a situation where a feral dog wanted to eat me, I certainly wouldn't worry about "over penetration" or recoil. A through and through shot with a 158 gr SWC at 800-900 fps is gonna do a lot of damage on it's way and quite possibly end the altercation. We all have ideas as to what combination would work best and I think I would opt for another gun, a longer barrel revolver in 38 or 44 caliber with just about any "Self Defense" load...