proverb · Words worth keeping
Who has no bread to spare should not keep a dog.
Who has no bread to spare should not keep a dog.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Taking responsibility for a dependent requires some provision for its needs. The dog and spare bread make care more than the wish to have a companion.
Example
Before agreeing to care for a neighbour’s pet, someone checks the instructions, time and supplies needed throughout the absence.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The speaker connects keeping a dog with having something available to feed it. As a broader image, an undertaking involving another’s dependence brings continuing obligations. Consider time, suitable resources and reliable help, not only the pleasure of beginning. Bread is the source’s image, not advice about an animal’s diet. The saying also does not make poverty a moral failing or prove that only wealthy people can care well. Examine the actual arrangement and support available.
When to use it
Use it to consider the continuing provision required by a responsibility for a dependent.
Keep in mind
The bread is a metaphor, not diet guidance; resources and support should be assessed without shaming poverty.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown