Or clever. My associate was running from the police, had an Alsatian set upon him. He let it grab his arm then picked it up and snapped its spine over his knee and then fled.

I've had a dog set on me in a street fight. It grabbed my sleeve so I ran it its owner with it attached. He fled.

As for the cudgel, poor weapon on close combat. If you find yourself with a swinging weapon, use it like a spike, not a bat.