Etymology

sun dog

Today it means: A bright spot in the sky, usually one of two on a parhelic circle on both sides of the sun (or occasionally above and below it), caused by the refraction of the sun's image through ice crystals. Full definition →

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The story

PIE word *sóh₂wl̥ From sun + dog (“(figurative) a visible atmospheric or meteorological phenomenon”) ; metaphorically refers to the bright spots of light that appear to "dog" or follow the real sun, much like a dog follows its owner.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.