travel and rhum

This might sound silly but last year around this time I had a bear encounter (followed down the mountain, bluff charge on the trail at the bottom). All in all pretty uneventful and people don’t seem to think the story is as intense or scary as it was for me. I have been an outdoorsman all my life but I have not hiked since last September. I think it’s time I face my fear and get back out there, with bear spray of course. My question is: does having my dog with me make me safer? He is prone to bark at anything I’m afraid of, I’m sure bears included. I didn’t have him with me during my encounter but I imagine he would lose his mind if he were there. Does that help my case or would that provoke an attack?