Dog Proverbs—
Folk Wisdom of the Ages

Have you ever wondered what "the people" thought about dogs? Well, these dog proverbs will shed some light (and maybe some hair) on your questions. Or maybe not (some of these proverbs left me wondering).

Some are about dogs, and some use canines to describe human behaviour. And others, even more obliquely, use canine behaviour as advice on human relations.

There are 14 dog proverbs listed here. None of them has a country of origin. There are also two pages of dog proverbs listed by country or region. Click on the links at the bottom of the page to read them.

A dog has four feet, but he can't walk four different paths.

A dog in a kennel barks at his fleas; a dog hunting does not notice them.

A kitchen-dog is never a good rabbit-hunter.

Dog does not eat dog.

Give a dog a bad name and hang him.

He who pelts every barking dog must pick up many stones.

Hold your dog in readiness before you start the hare.

If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

If it were a dog, it would have bitten you already.

If you wish the dog to follow you, feed him.

Many dogs kill a hare, no matter how many turns it makes.

One barking dog sets the street barking.

The hindmost dog may catch the hare.

Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

Dog Proverbs by Country | Dog Proverbs by Country, Page 2