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Download the Dog Idioms List & PDF Worksheets
View the updated web-version of the dog idioms list in the table below.
The idiom worksheets and games are also free to download.
- Download and print the PDFs.
- Use the materials for interactive learning activities in class.
- Students can also complete the worksheets to review or for self-study.
Dog Idiom Worksheets for ESL Students
Worksheet A: Defining Idioms & Writing Sentences with Idioms
Worksheet B: Reading Idioms in Context & Describing Meanings
Fun Dog Idiom Games for the Classroom
Dog Idioms Checklist (for BINGO)
35 Idioms and Phrases About Dogs
*Updated: November 2021
| Idiom / Phrase | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a barking dog never bites | a person who constantly threatens never acts | Don't worry about his vocal threats. He won't hurt you physically. |
| bark up the wrong tree | pursue misguided action | Stop accusing me. I'm innocent. You're barking up the wrong tree! |
| call your dogs off | stop criticizing or attacking | I paid you all of the money. I don't owe you anything. Call your dogs off! |
| dog and bone | a telephone | She is speaking with her boyfriend on the dog and bone. |
| dog and pony show | elaborate presentation | The designer bag showcase was such a dog and pony show. |
| dog days | very hot days | The dog days of summer are really humid and uncomfortable. |
| dog-eared | folded corners of pages in a book | He dog-eared the pages of the book instead of using a bookmark. |
| dog-eat-dog world | competitive | American political debates are a dog-eat-dog world. |
| dog-tired | very tired | She was dog-tired after running the marathon. |
| dog's bollocks | the best | That new Tesla is the dog's bollocks. |
| dog's breakfast | very messy | Her mother was upset because her son's room was like a dog's breakfast. |
| doggy bag | food taken home after a restaurant meal | My girlfriend barely ate her dinner so she asked the waiter for a doggy bag. |
| dogs of war | destruction caused by war | Famine and poverty are unfortunately common dogs of war. |
| dogsbody | someone who does all the work | The chef was the dogsbody in the kitchen. Everyone else broke dishes. |
| double dog dare | challenge defiantly | She double dog dared me to go hang gliding so I had to do it! |
| every dog has its day | everyone has success eventually | Keep shooting and you will score. Every dog has its day. |
| glory hound | someone looking for fortune or fame | He's such a glory hound. He loves the attention from the press. |
| hair of the dog | drinking alcohol to cure a hangover | The hair of the dog is the best remedy for a hangover. |
| hot dog | show off | What a hot dog! He's stickhandling the puck around every player! |
| in the dog house | in trouble | The coach won't let me play. I'm in the dog house. |
| lazy as a dog | very lazy | I was lazy as a dog last weekend. I stayed in bed on Saturday and Sunday. |
| lead a dog's life | unhappy life | Her father lead a dog's life trying to raise her and she never appreciated him. |
| let sleeping dogs lie | avoid interfering in something that may create trouble | Don't bring up old arguments. It's best to let sleeping dogs lie. |
| let the dog see the rabbit | remove unnecessary obstructions | It's time to let the dog see the rabbit. Bring the batter up to the big leagues! |
| puppy dog eyes | innocent facial expression | His daughter showed him puppy dog eyes after dropping his ice cream cone. |
| puppy love | intense but shallow romantic attachment | People usually feel puppy love when they are teenagers. |
| raining cats and dogs | raining heavily | It's raining cats and dogs. Remember your umbrella. |
| rock hound | a geologist | The gold miner is such a rock hound. He is going to be very wealthy. |
| run with the big dogs | compete with the top performers | It's time to run with the big dogs when you play in the Premier League. |
| see a man about his dog | go to the bathroom | I left the dinner table to see a man about his dog. |
| sick as a dog | very sick | I was sick as a dog on Monday, so I couldn't go to work. |
| three dog night | very cold | Looks like it's going to be a three dog night. It's going to minus 40 degrees. |
| throw to the dogs | allow someone to be attacked | Why did you throw me to the dogs yesterday? I couldn't defend myself. |
| wag the dog | distract attention from | The politician wags the dog to prevent people from discovering his scandal. |
| work like a dog | work very hard | My boss has me working like a dog. |
Extra Examples of Dog Idioms in Use
Do you want to read more examples and sentences with dog idioms?
Try entering the expressions in a corpus database or language app.
We highly recommend the following corpus resources and tools: