go to the dogs

idiomatic phrase

informal

: to become ruined : to change to a much worse condition

Our favorite restaurant has gone to the dogs lately.

No wonder some establishment figures think the country is going to the dogs.

—Daniel Singer

Examples of go to the dogs in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fox will continue to go to the dogs, and cats, and other household and exotic animals. —Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2023

Still, the docuseries actually operates on various levels, and while its canine star (currently Gunther VI, incidentally) appears to be a good boy, the coverage surrounding him is evidence of how the media can go to the dogs in more ways than one. —Brian Lowry, CNN, 1 Feb. 2023

Without the court’s intervention, the companies all but said that federal trademark law will go to the dogs. —Matt Ford, The New Republic, 29 Nov. 2022

Many pandemic winners are seeing their sales go to the dogs. —Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 10 June 2022

After three weekends of the Big Gig, the Summerfest grounds go to the dogs — and cats — Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. when Fromm Petfest returns to Maier Festival Park. —Chris Foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 22 Sep. 2021

The future of coronavirus testing may go to the dogs — literally. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for go to the dogs

• analogs
• analogues
• catalogues
• demagogues
• dialogs
• dialogues
• monologues
• pedagogues
• synagogues
• travelogues
• underdogs
• backlogs