A junkyard is not a fun place for a dog. Many dogs in the United States sleep in safe little houses near their owners' home.
These doghouses provide shelter. Yet they can be cold and lonely in the winter.
Husbands and wives use this “doghouse” term when they are angry at each other.
For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their wedding anniversary.
She might tell him that he is “in the doghouse.” She may not treat him nicely until he apologizes.
However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide “to let sleeping dogs lie.”
Dog expressions also are used to describe the weather. “The dog days of summer” are the hottest days of the year.
A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it “to rain cats and dogs.”
