More dogs

I had finished signing the cache, and ladysolly was walking along the public footpath a couple of hundred yards away, and I was walking to catch up with her. Suddenly, she stopped, and I could see a dog barking at her and making those rushes and jumps at her that they make. Then along came another dog, and did the same thing. By the time I caught up with her (she was still standing stock still, and she looked really scared) the dogs were in full flood.

Then the owner came along, and tried to call the dogs off. The dogs totally ignored her. And they continued to terrorise ladysolly by making those barking/jumping/rushes at her. The owner continued to call, with no effect, and made no attempt to get hold of the dogs.

So now I've caught up, and I'm near to ladysolly, and the dogs are still ignoring their owner (who now says "They won't bite", a statement which I don't fully trust, in view of her inability to control her dogs) and the dogs are still kicking off.

And here's my question.

What do you think I should have done at that point? Answers that occurs to me are:

1) Nothing

2) Defend ladysolly, if necessary with my boots and/or walking pole

3) Grab hold of the dogs, as per Dorsetgal's anecdote

4) Some other action, please suggest what

This isn't a dog-bashing thread, it's a thread about what we non-dog-owners should do when confronted by aggressive, out-of-control dogs. I'm hoping that people who understand dogs will be able to make constructive suggestions, and not just (as often happens) blame the innocent victim of the dogs' aggression.