# go to the dogs

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-to-the-dogs
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To decline or deteriorate shockingly.

## Examples

- The local park is going to the dogs.
- Many residents worry that the city center is going to the dogs due to poor maintenance.
- Observers argued that the once-prosperous company was going to the dogs after years of mismanagement and declining product quality.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.