కుక్కను పందివలె పెంచి దొంగవస్తే ఆలుమగలే మొరిగినారట.

kukkanu pandivale penchi dongavaste alumagale moriginarata.

Translation

Raising a dog like a pig, when a thief came, the husband and wife had to bark.

Meaning

This proverb highlights the consequences of misplaced or poor training. If you pamper a guard dog by overfeeding it and making it lazy (like a pig) instead of training it to be alert, it becomes useless. In a crisis, the owners end up doing the work the subordinate or resource was supposed to do. It is used to mock people who waste resources on incompetent help.

Related Phrases

The dogs barked six months after the robbery.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where action is taken far too late to be of any use. It highlights the futility of a delayed response or a 'better late than never' approach that is so delayed that the damage is long done and irrecoverable.

Like dogs barking at an elephant.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where small-minded or insignificant people criticize or mock someone far superior or powerful. It implies that the superior person (the elephant) is unaffected by the noisy, futile criticisms (the barking dogs) and continues on their path with dignity.

After fattening the dog like a pig, when thieves arrived, the husband and wife had to bark.

This proverb describes a situation where resources are wasted on someone or something that fails to perform its duty when needed. It specifically refers to over-pampering a subordinate or a tool to the point of uselessness, forcing the master to do the work themselves in a crisis.

Like a thief stung by a scorpion

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is suffering or in trouble but cannot cry out for help or complain because doing so would reveal their own wrongdoing or secret. Just as a thief cannot scream when stung by a scorpion while hiding, the person must endure their pain in silence.

The donkey barked instead of the dog

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone incompetent or unqualified tries to perform a task belonging to an expert, leading to failure or a ridiculous outcome. It highlights the mismatch between a person's abilities and the role they are trying to fulfill.

He raised the dog like a horse, but when the thief came, the owner (Reddy) had to bark.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where one invests heavily in someone or something to perform a specific duty, but when the time comes, that person fails to act, forcing the provider to do the work themselves. It highlights the irony of wasted efforts on incompetent or ungrateful dependents.

The Reddi fed his dog like a horse, and barked himself. To pay a servant extravagantly and do his work yourself.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone invests heavily in a person or a resource expecting high-quality results, but the investment proves useless, forcing the person to do the work themselves. It satirizes poor judgment and the irony of having to perform a lowly task despite having hired or trained someone else to do it.

* En ond Hest aeder saa meget som en god. † Aprés perdre perd on blcu.

Coming like a needle and turning out a packing needle. The reverse of No. 688 q. v.

This expression is used to describe a situation where something starts very small, modest, or harmless (like a tiny needle) but eventually grows into something large, intrusive, or problematic (like a thick bodkin/large needle). It is often used to refer to people who enter one's life humbly but end up becoming a major burden or dominating the space.

Even if a dog from Kuchipudi barks, it is music.

This proverb highlights the influence of one's environment and upbringing. Kuchipudi is a village famous for its classical dance and music; therefore, the saying suggests that in a place so deeply rooted in art, even the most mundane sounds (like a dog barking) possess artistic quality. It is used to describe a person who is so naturally talented or well-trained that even their casual efforts are impressive.

Even if a dog barks in Kuchipudi, it sounds like music.

This proverb is used to highlight the prestige or high standards of a place or environment known for a specific art or excellence. Kuchipudi is a village famous for the classical dance form of the same name. The saying implies that when you are in a place filled with talent and culture, even the most mundane or random sounds seem refined and artistic.