I (20M) almost got dismembered while doing deliveries
I drove up to the house. The dog was already there but showed no signs of aggression at first and was only barking, similar to many other dogs I have encountered on deliveries.
I got out of the car and approached the house while the dog sniffed around my vehicle. The main entrance was located in a sort of hallway between the house and the garage, which were connected by an overhang. I knocked and waited, but when no one answered, I placed the door dropper in a bag and left it on the doorknob.
When I turned to leave, I noticed the dog was blocking my path. As I approached, it did not move out of the way, so I did what I usually do in these situations and held my hand out to let the dog approach and sniff me to become more comfortable. I think I may have moved my hand a little too close or too quickly, causing the dog to jump back and bare its teeth.
I remained calm and slowly backed away toward my only exit route, which was through their backyard, while making sure not to turn my back on the dog. Once I got around the corner, I attempted to walk back to my car, but the dog was guarding it. The moment it saw me, it began chasing me.
I turned around and ran back around the other side of the house. The dog was right on my heels, and I was genuinely concerned it was going to seriously harm me. For perspective, the dog was approximately half to three-quarters of my size, and I am only about 5'5" and around 100 pounds.
When I came around the other side of the house, I was blocked by a line of bushes. I did not want to risk slowing down to make a sharp turn around them to get to my car, so I sprinted and jumped through the bushes instead, which resulted in some bloody scratches on my arm.
Thankfully, I was able to safely get back into my car and close the door before catching my breath and questioning my life choices.