Have you ever wondered where those dog sayings came from? “Let sleeping dog’s lie”, “Sick as a dog”, “dog eat dog world”, etc. My mom did some research and we were amazed at how all these doggie phrases originated.
Dogs were observed by the ancient Greeks and Romans because of their friendliness and characteristics. Being philosophical in nature, the people would use dogs as a reference to make a point. These phrases were usually humorous and and had intent to be meaningful as well.
These little insights were called Proverbs. Dogs can teach humans some useful things.
“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.” Mark Twain
“Let sleeping dogs lie”, is my favorite and I keep telling my mom not to wake me. It refers to waking someone from a sleep and that causes them to awake in a grumpy mood if they are still sleepy.
When we have done something unpleasing we are “In the Doghouse”. I have been there before. Humans can be in the doghouse too.
“Leading a Dog’s Life”. In our country most dogs are truly blessed and lucky. I am glad I am a dog here and not in another place, besides I only speak dog English. I get two meals a day and someone brushes my teeth, takes me to the park, and loves me unconditionally. I have got the best “dog’s life”.
An old proverb says” A lean dog will get through the hedges”, which translates that a thin person will recover more quickly from illness than an overweight person.
In Rome there was a saying “a dog that fetches will carry”. This referred to people who told secrets about another would surely tell your secrets”.
“Love me, love my dog” came from the 12th century, Saint Bernard. (the saint, not the dog) He was a true dog lover. The dog breed was later named after Saint Bernard. Today we use a similar phrase, “must love dog’s”.
“Every dog is valiant at his own house” was used to compare dogs defending their home to soldiers in war defending their homeland.
When you observe a dog unstoppable at a task you know where “dogged determination” comes from.
Referring to a person as an “old dog” meant they had been around a while and knew some important things.
In ancient Egypt, the Pharaohs had a warning to discourage excessive drinking and recklessness. “Drink like a dog at the Nile.” Back then there were huge crocodiles on the banks of the Nile waiting for dogs to come for a drink of water. The smart dogs learned to drink in moderation before something bad could happen. This is still good advice for our time.
When Julius Caesar was around there was a remedy for dog bites. Taking “the hair of the dog that bit you”. This seems to be an early attempt at vaccinations. The Romans believed that treating you with the poison you took was a cure.
“Dog eat dog” is looking out for oneself.
“Three dog night” started with the Eskimos to gauge how cold the night would be. More dogs meant more cold.
In 17th century England it rained so hard that the rivers burst their banks and many dogs and cats drowned. Their bodies could be seen floating in the rain, hence “raining cats and dogs”.
“Dog breath” is no laughing matter if you or your dog has it. Mom brushes my teeth so that we do not have “dog breath’ at our house.
Polish Proverb: “The greater love is a mother’s, then comes a dog’s, then a sweethearts”.
Russian Proverb: “If you are a host to your guest, be a host to his dog”.
There are many more proverbs but I will stop at these. Leave a comment on this column and share any proverbs about dogs. Thanks for reading my column.
“If there are no dog’s in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went”. Unknown
