proverb · Words worth keeping
It’s an old dog for a hard road.
It’s an old dog for a hard road.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying pairs an old dog with a hard road. As a human analogy, experience is pictured as useful for a demanding undertaking.
What the words are saying
Old and hard link familiarity with difficulty, but the wording supplies no particular journey. A qualified application can value relevant experience without assuming age alone establishes skill. New knowledge or support may still be needed, and the phrase is not guidance for taking an animal on a difficult route.
Everyday example
A group seeks someone with relevant experience for a demanding task while checking the task’s current requirements.
When to use it
Use it to discuss relevant experience rather than age alone.
What it does not mean
Age does not guarantee suitability, and no animal-care rule is verified.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 267; PDF page 42
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.