- English translation
I brought up a dog, and it turned on me and bit me.
- Literal wording
I raised a dog, and it turned around and bit me.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying captures being repaid with harm by someone you nurtured. The speaker raised a dog with care, only to have it turn on its keeper and bite. The wound stings more because it comes from one who owed kindness.
It works as an aggrieved complaint or rebuke about ingratitude, voicing hurt over a dependent, protégé, or friend who answered generosity with hostility. The bitterness lies in the reversal: care that was freely given is met with an attack.
- When it is used
Spoken by someone who supported or looked after another person and later suffered harm at their hands, usually after the betrayal. Likening the offender to a dog makes it harsh and insulting, so it rarely suits neutral or conciliatory moments.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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