sick as a dog?

[izzybelbooks]

Does anyone know where the phrase 'sick as a dog' comes from?
I ask because I've been sick for a week now, and while I have felt lots of things (exhaustion, inability to breathe properly, soreness, etc.), I do not believe any of them are dog-like.  I mean, I'm not a pet person (or a dog), so I can't be sure, but the dogs I've seen never seem this miserable.  Maybe I've just never seen a sick dog?
Anyway, day 4? of lying in bed and being pathetic is starting to get a little old.  I'm hoping to be back among the living in another day or so. 

Comments

[j00j]

Some quick Googling doesn't turn up anything definite, but most people seem to think the phrase originates with the fact that most dogs will eat *anything* (among the things my dog would try to eat, given the opportunity: tea bags, ABC gum off the sidewalk) and may become spectacularly ill as a result. (see http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=282077) However, in my experience, most dogs recover from this sort of thing quite quickly, so it's not such an accurate phrase.

In any case, I hope you are well very soon! *hugs*

[wild_irises]

I don't know, but I was wondering the same question the other day when waywardcats used the phrase.