A canvassing candidate came to a house where there was an Alsatian who barked ferociously. His agent said: ‘Just go in. Don’t you know the proverb “A barking dog never bites”?’ ‘Yes, ’ said the candidate, ‘I know the proverb, you know the proverb, but does the dog know the proverb?’
(1980 Daily Telegraph 1 May 18)
Two taxi-drivers were engaged in a shouting match and my friend was worried that they wouldfight but I said to him, “Don’t you know the old proverb : Barking dogs seldom bite?”