I have heard the old phrase but I wouldn’t risk a piece of my ass on it.
I’ve only been bitten by a dog once. Coincidentally, it did not bark. It was a German shepard that was very quiet. I put my hand out to let it sniff it and it simply bit me. This was about 40 years ago.
Every dog that barks at me, if they seem especially vicious, I get onto all fours and stare them down. Some of them stop their charge so fast it’s comical. Works every time, but I doubt it would work with a trained killer. Seriously.