Being raised in the country, back many years ago, to drop in to see a neighbor was not unusual. I don't recall Mother or Daddy ever calling ahead to let a neighbor know we were coming. Today the drop-in visit does still exist, but it is not as frequent.
Those years back, every neighbor had his trusty dog. The dog pre-warned the owner that someone had come for a visit. It was one bark followed by another. If more than one dog was present, it was enough noise to arouse anyone.
To this day, I don't ever recall being afraid of any of the neighbors' barking dogs. In fact, my parents proceeded to the front door and out would come someone who simply yelled to the dog, "Shut up!" The dog did as it was told and found himself a place to lie down. He was not heard of again during our visit.
The idiom definition of "his bark is much worse than his bite," is someone who may well get angry, but doesn't take any action. In further explanation, it is the giving of many threats but without following through.
The internet states a barking dog seldom bites. I really believe this somewhat. Is a dog, in his behavior, much different than his owner?
