dog's life

1. A miserably unhappy existence, as in He's been leading a dog's life since his wife left him. This expression was first recorded in a 16th-century manuscript and alludes to the miserable subservient existence of dogs during this era. By the 1660s there was a proverb: “It's a dog's life, hunger and ease.”

Example Sentences

"I think it's a really big gamble as to what you're going to end up with because without clear information about lots of the elements of that dog's life and history, it's going to be difficult to match you with that dog. So it is a little bit Russian roulette here."

From BBC

“Every pet owner thinks, like, ‘OK, how can I make my dog’s life more comfortable as they get older?’”

From Los Angeles Times

The animal-adoption people told him they were unaware of the events in the dog’s life that would have led to this.

From Los Angeles Times

The people with the rescue group told him they were unaware of the events in the dog’s life that would have led to this.

From Los Angeles Times

“That’s what I’d want, is that they’d really value their dog’s life and give their dog its best chance of having a full, long life.”

From New York Times