Max’s Dogs – Top dog or Underdog
Top dog or underdog
Dogs in any grouping – a wild pack or even just a domestic group – have an ‘alpha’ who is dominant. The term shifted to the popular sport of dog-fighting – with two references, one actual and one predicted. During the fight the superior dog could be seen on top. If a particular dog had a track record of achieving this supremacy, those taking bets on a forthcoming fight would refer to that participant as a ‘top dog’ while a newcomer, or fighter with an unimpressive track record, would be the ‘under-dog’.