Dogs pop up in the Italian language more often than you’d think. Whether it’s to complain, insult, or just add a bit of dramatic flair, we love a good dog reference when we want to be particularly expressive. So, in this article I’m sharing 17 of the most colorful, quirky, and occasionally confusing Italian idioms with cane (dog) and how to use them like a true Italian.
1. Alla cavolo di cane
Literally: Like a dog’s cabbage
Meaning: in a sloppy, careless way
“A dog’s cabbage” makes zero sense, I know. But that’s the point. We use this wonderfully absurd phrase to describe anything done in a rushed, messy, or totally lazy way.
Fate sempre le cose alla cavolo di cane e questi sono i risultati.
You always do things in a sloppy, careless way, and these are the results.
It’s a super colloquial expression, perfect for casual conversations but definitely best to keep it out of formal settings. You might also hear a much ruder version, alla cazzo di cane, which literally means “like a dog’s d*ck” but you don’t want to say it unless you’re among close friends who don’t mind a bit of colourful language.
2. Can che abbaia non morde
Literally: A dog that barks does not bite
Meaning: All bark, no bite
We like to say can che abbaia non morde when someone acts all tough, but we know they won’t actually do anything.
Quando Claudio si arrabbia, alza la voce, ma non preoccuparti: can che abbaia non morde!
When Claudio gets mad, he raises his voice, but don’t worry: he’s all bark and no bite.
This saying first appeared in I Promessi Sposi,(The Betrothed), the famous Italian novel by Alessandro Manzoni, where Perpetua, Don Abbondio’s servant, refers to the henchmen of Don Rodrigo by saying: Guai se questi cani dovessero mordere tutte le volte che abbaiano! (Woe to us if these dogs bit every time they barked!)
A similar expression in Italian is tutto fumo e niente arrosto (all smoke and no roast), meaning lots of talk but no real substance.
3. Cani e porci
Literally: Dogs and pigs
Meaning: Just about everyone and anyone
This fun, casual phrase sums up a wild mix of people, from the charming to the downright annoying. Basically, you’ll hear it when we’re describing any crowd that’s a little bit of everything.
Why dogs and pigs? Well, dogs are loyal, lovable, and mostly well-behaved, while pigs are the messy, less glamorous side of the animal kingdom. Put them together and you’ve got a perfect metaphor for a crowd that’s equal parts good, bad, and a little chaotic!
In quel locale fanno entrare cani e porci, per questo non ci vado mai.
In that place they let in just anyone, that’s why I never go there.
4. Come un cane bastonato
Literally: Like a beaten dog
Meaning: Feeling utterly miserable, defeated, and unfairly treated
We say this when someone looks totally beaten down, like they’ve just had the worst day and it shows. Maybe they got dumped, called out at work, or blamed for something they didn’t even do. Come un cane bastonato sums up that feeling of being knocked down by life.
Dopo che lei gli ha detto che era finita, se ne è andato come un cane bastonato.
After she told him it was over, he walked away with his tail between his legs.
5. Essere come cane e gatto
Literally: To be like a dog and a cat
Meaning: To constantly argue or not get along
This classic Italian expression describes a pair (siblings, friends, or coworkers) who just can’t stop clashing, always arguing, disagreeing, and acting like natural-born rivals.
It plays on the idea that dogs and cats just don’t get along, always chasing or fighting each other. Sure, some live in peace, but the image of these two clashing perfectly captures that never-ending arguing energy.
Quei due sono come cane e gatto, litigano dalla mattina alla sera!
Those two are like a dog and a cat, they argue from morning till night!
6. Essere solo come un cane
Literally: To be as lonely as a dog
Meaning: To feel completely alone, without company or support
This phrase screams serious loneliness, the kind where you’re basically the kid who never gets picked for games. It comes from the old rural image of dogs chained outside, stuck guarding the place solo. Yeah, that depressing.
Dopo che tutti gli hanno voltato le spalle, è rimasto solo come un cane.
After everyone turned their backs on him, he was left as lonely as a dog.
7. Essere un cane
Literally: To be a dog
Meaning: To be terrible at something
Saying someone è un cane (is a dog) is a casual (but pretty sharp!) way to say they’re really terrible or just hopeless at whatever they’re trying to do. It’s like saying, “Wow, they have zero skill here.” Definitely not flattering.
Quell’idraulico è proprio un cane, ha allagato tutta la casa!
That plumber is really terrible, he flooded the entire house!
8. Essere un cane sciolto
Literally: To be a loose dog
Meaning: To act independently, without rules or ties
We use essere un cane sciolto for someone who does their own thing, answers to no one, and plays by their own rules. Just like a dog off-leash, they’re free to roam… and maybe cause a little trouble too! You’ll often hear it about people involved in politics, culture, or activism who operate outside the usual groups, or about criminals who act solo rather than with a gang.
La polizia ha detto che la rapina è stata opera di cani sciolti.
The police said the robbery was carried out by loose cannons.
9. Fare una vita da cani
Literally: To live a dog’s life
Meaning: To live a hard, miserable life
Fare una vita da cani is all about living a rough life full of stress, sacrifices, and not much joy. It comes from back when dogs weren’t exactly pampered: no plush beds, no squeaky toys, just long days outside in all kinds of weather and zero belly rubs.
Antonio lavora dodici ore al giorno e non ha mai un momento libero, fa proprio una vita da cani.
Antonio works twelve hours a day and never has a free moment, he really lives a dog’s life.
That said, modern dogs often live way better than we do (I mean, gourmet food, designer collars, even dog spas!). So depending on the tone, vita da cani can also be used sarcastically when someone is clearly not suffering at all, like:
Che vita da cani la tua, tutto il giorno sdraiato su quel lettino in spiaggia!
What a tough life you have, lying on that beach lounger all day!
10. Menare il can per l’aia
Literally: To lead the dog around the farmyard
Meaning: To beat around the bush, to avoid getting to the point
This expression might sound a bit old-fashioned, and it is since you don’t hear menare or aia much in everyday Italian anymore:
- menare once meant “to lead” or “to conduct” (now we’d say portare or condurre).
- aia refers to the courtyard of a farmhouse
Despite the vintage vocabulary, the idiom is still around to talk about someone who is clearly stalling or avoiding the point. Its origin goes back to rural times, when farmers would spread wheat on the aia and have oxen walk over it to separate the grain from the chaff. Oxen, being slow and heavy, were perfect for the job. But try doing that with a dog. Totally pointless and a waste of time. Precisely what this idiom captures.
Smettila di menare il can per l’aia, vai dritto al punto!
Stop beating around the bush, get straight to the point!
11. Non esserci un cane
Literally: There isn’t a dog
Meaning: There’s nobody around, Not a single soul in sight
This idiom is an informal way to say non c’è nessuno — there’s no one around, not even a stray dog. And if not even a dog shows up, you know a place is seriously deserted. It’s the kind of thing you might mutter while walking through town on Ferragosto, when it feels like the whole world has vanished.
In città non c’è un cane, sono partiti tutti per le vacanze.
In town there isn’t a single person, everyone has left for vacation.
When using this expression, remember to use the article un (a), as it emphasizes that not even one single creature is there.
12. Non svegliare il can che dorme
Literally: Don’t wake the sleeping dog
Meaning: Let sleeping dogs lie
Picture a grumpy dog that’s finally stopped barking and fallen asleep. He looks peaceful now, maybe even kind of sweet. But the moment you poke him, he’s growling, barking, and making a mess of everything. That’s what this idiom is warning you about. If something or someone has finally calmed down, just let it be. Don’t bring up that awkward conversation, don’t reopen old drama, and definitely don’t test someone’s patience if they’re finally quiet.
Per carità, evita di parlare ancora di quella vecchia storia … non svegliamo il can che dorme!
For heaven’s sake, don’t bring up that old story again… better to leave sleeping dogs lie!
The idea goes way back. Even the ancient Romans said it: irritare canem noli dormire volentem (don’t bother a dog who just wants to nap). Centuries later, still good advice.
13. Porco cane
Literally: Pork dog
Meaning: Damn, bloody hell
Porco cane is a colorful little outburst, one of those classic Italian exclamations that flies out when we’re angry, shocked, or just stubbed our toe on the furniture:
Porco cane, che male!
Damn, that hurts!
It’s basically a stronger version of cavolo (which literally means “cabbage,” but is used like “damn”). It lets us vent without going all the way into rude territory. So, it’s not exactly polite, but it’s not the worst word you could use either.
You might also hear Dio cane (God dog), kind of a blasphemous expression that I’d personally avoid. Still, it’s good to be aware of it.
14. Un cane che si morde la coda
Literally: A dog biting its tail
Meaning: Being stuck in a never-ending loop
This Italian idiom with cane revolves around that feeling of running in circles, like a dog chasing its own tail, spinning faster and faster but never actually catching it. We say it whenever a problem creates another problem, and solving one thing just leads back to square one. In other words, the classic circolo vizioso (vicious circle) in action.
Cerco lavoro ma senza esperienza nessuno mi assume, e senza lavoro non posso fare esperienza… è un cane che si morde la coda!
I’m looking for a job, but without experience no one hires me, and without a job I can’t gain experience… it’s a vicious circle!
15. Da cani
Literally: Dogs-like
Meaning: Very bad, unpleasant
Da cani is a handy expression we frequently use to make something sound really bad. It adds emphasis to anything that feels super negative.
Here are some classic da cani expressions you’ll hear all the time:
- Dormire da cani— To sleep terribly
- Fare qualcosa da cani— To do something really badly
- Mangiare da cani— To have awful food
- Stare da cani— To feel awful, physically or emotionally
- Trattare qualcuno da cani— To treat someone really badly
- Un lavoro da cani— A terrible, exhausting job
- Una vita da cani— A hard, miserable life
Ieri abbiamo provato il nuovo ristorante in centro, ma abbiamo mangiato da cani.
Yesterday we tried the new restaurant downtown, but we had a terrible meal.
16. Cane
Literally: Dog
Meaning: Used to make something stronger or more intense
In Italian, cane on its own can act like an amplifier, making something sound way more intense, especially when we’re talking about discomfort, pain, or frustration.
You’ll usually hear it in phrases like:
- Un freddo cane — freezing cold
- Un male cane— super painful
- Una fatica cane — a real slog
Oggi non esco, fa un freddo cane!
No way am I going out today, it’s freezing cold!
17. Abbaiare alla luna
Meaning: To bark at the moon
Technically this one doesn’t include the word cane, but, hey, who else barks at the moon if not a dog? Abbaiare alla luna is a rather poetic way to say “You’re wasting your time.” It expresses that feeling of shouting into the void, trying to change someone’s mind, or fight a battle you’ve already lost.
Provare a farlo ragionare è come abbaiare alla luna. Tanto fa sempre di testa sua!
Trying to reason with him is like barking at the moon. He always does whatever he wants anyway!
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
