What has bark but no bite?

How to think about it

1. The phrase “bark but no bite” makes you think of a noisy dog that never attacks.
2. Change the meaning of “bark”. Besides a dog’s sound, bark is the rough outer layer of something in the yard.
3. That something cannot bite because it has no mouth.
4. A tree has bark all around its trunk and branches, and it has never bitten anyone.

Why “a tree” is the answer

Bark is the protective skin of a tree, and a tree has no teeth or mouth, so it has bark without any bite. The riddle is a pun on the dog saying, and the two meanings of “bark” are the whole joke. Younger solvers often guess a quiet dog first, which is exactly what the question wants them to do.

Common wrong answers

• A puppy. A puppy has a bark and also has teeth, so it can bite.
• A toy dog. A toy dog that barks and cannot bite is a creative answer, but the riddle is pointing at the other meaning of bark.