The Dog in the Manger — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A Dog lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. "What a selfish Dog!" said one of them to his companions; "he cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can."
We should not deprive others of blessings because we cannot enjoy them ourselves.

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Learning from "The Dog in the Manger"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Dog in the Manger" uses 2 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to The Dog in the Manger?
The lyrics to The Dog in the Manger are: A Dog lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. "What a selfish Dog!" said one of them to his companions; "he cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can." / We should not deprive others of blessings because we cannot enjoy them ourselves.
How many lines does The Dog in the Manger have?
"The Dog in the Manger" has 2 lines of verse.

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