# Sick as a Dog

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-as-a-dog/229658>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 17, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-as-a-dog/229658 "2004-02-17T14:20:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-as-a-dog/229658/1 "2004-02-17T14:20:18Z")

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The other day, I was telling my daughter a story of a time that I was very sick. I used the phrase “sick as a dog”. She asked me about when and how that phrase came to be. We have two dogs, that never get sick as often as we do.

So to answer my daughter’s question, please explain _sick as a dog_.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-as-a-dog/229658/2 "2004-02-17T14:26:38Z")

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Just a WAG, but I think dogs instinctually retire to their bed to “lick their wounds”.

You can see a sick dog, and recognize him as such. They lay there and whimper.

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**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-as-a-dog/229658/3 "2004-02-17T15:23:25Z")

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A little googling gave me [this explanation](http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-sic1.htm).