Idioms with DOG

• a dog's life = constantly worried, troubled or miserable
  (una vida de perros = constantemente preocupado, con problemas o triste)
• every dog has his day = everyone can succeed sooner or later
  (cada perro tiene su día = todos tendrán éxito tarde o temprano)
• love me, love my dog = if one loves somebody, one should love everyone and everything associated with him
  (quiéreme a mí, quiere a mi perro)
• to be like a dog with two tails = to be very happy
  (estar como perro con dos colas = estar muy feliz)
• to be as sick as a dog = be ill, vomiting a lot
  (estar muy enfermo, con vómitos)
• to give a dog a bad name (and hang him) = once a person has lost his reputation, it's difficult to regain it
  (por un perro que maté, mataperros me llamaron = si alguien pierde la reputación, es difícil recuperarla)
• to go to the dog = (an organization) become less efficient
  (echarse a perder, volverse menos eficiente)
• to let sleeping dogs lie = to let it be quiet
  (dejar todo como está, no crear más problemas de los necesarios)
• to make a dog's breakfast of something = to do something very badly
  (hacer algo muy mal)
• not to stand/have a dog's chance = to have no chance at all
  (no tener la más remota posibilidad)
• to work like a dog = to work a lot
  (trabajar como un perro = trabajar mucho)
• to treat somebody like a dog = to treat somebody with no respect at all
  (tratar a alguien como un perro = tratar mal, ofender, no respetar a alguien)
• to die like a dog = to die in misery, with no honour nor dignity
  (morir como un perro = en la miseria, sin honor ni dignidad)
• to be a dog in the manger = to be mean or jealous
  (ser el perro del hortelano = ser malvado o envidioso)
• dog eat dog = (adj) when people compete against each other and do anything to get what they want; a dog eat dog world/situation.
  (cuando las personas compiten entre sí y hacen lo que sea para conseguir algo)
• the tail wagging the dog = situation in which a minor part of something controls the course of the whole
  (la cola moviendo al perro = una parte menor de algo controla al resto)
• his bark is worse than his bite = someone is less dangerous than he appears
  (perro que ladra no muerde = alguien no es tan peligroso como parece)
• barking dogs seldom/never bite = people who look aggressive are not really too bad
  (perros que ladran raramente/nunca muerden = alguien que parece agresivo no es tan malo)
• to bark up the wrong tree = to ask a wrong person for something
  (ladrar al árbol equivocado = pedirle algo a la persona incorrecta)
• you can't teach an old dog new tricks = it's difficult for an old person to change or do new things
  (no se puede enseñar trucos nuevos a un perro viejo = es difícil para una persona mayor cambiar o hacer cosas nuevas)
• top dog = person who has the most power in a group
  (jefe, persona que tiene más poder en un grupo)
• the underdog = a person or team that is weaker than the others, and is always expected to be unsuccessful
  (persona que lleva las de perder, que no es favorito)
• it's raining cats and dogs = it's raining a lot
  (está lloviendo a cántaros = está lloviendo mucho)
• doggy bag = small bag for taking home the food that is left over from a meal in a restaurant
  (bolsa para las sobras de comida en un restaurante)

We thank Marcela Bitetto (from Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Gabriel Mandrille (from Buenos Aires, Argentina) for their suggestions.

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