The resulting graph of the activity is a classic bell curve of biting, peaking on the night when lovers are supposed to be swooning, not fending off ferocious flea hotels.

"Altered behavior of the animals, influenced by the full Moon, might be the reason of their increased propensity to bite during the full Moon period," said Chanchal Bhattacharjee, lead author of the study.

Another continent, another doggone result

Aussie pooches on the other hand (which they will still bite) seem to be less affected by calls from above. The study "down under" surveyed all public hospital emergency rooms, counting dog bite admissions over a one-year period.

Researchers Simon Chapman and Stephen Morrell of the University of Sydney think they've sniffed out the real truth: No positive relation seems to exist between the full Moon and dog bites, they say.

But how could the results from two studies in two countries be so different? Chapman has what he admits is a somewhat mischievous answer.

"The only hypothesis that occurs to me is that Britain is such a dull place that when they have full Moons, people get about more," Chapman said. "So there are more opportunities to bite. Australia has perfect weather most of the year, so a full Moon is no big deal."

Chapman and Morrell did find an unexplained peak in attacks centered around New Year's Day. And, for the record, Sunday is the most likely day to meet a raving Rover in Australia. Wednesday, on the other hand, appears to be the safest day to pat the head of a hound.