guard dog / watchdog
der Wachhund, die Wachhunde
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guard dog
A dog that guards a building, property, or similar place and barks when there is danger or when strangers appear.
Nachts bewacht ein Wachhund das Firmengelände.
At night, a guard dog watches over the company premises.
watchdog
Figuratively: a person or organization that carefully monitors whether rules are being followed and draws attention to wrongdoing.
Die unabhängige Presse gilt als Wachhund der Demokratie, weil sie Machtmissbrauch aufdeckt.
The independent press is considered the watchdog of democracy because it exposes abuses of power.
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Wachhunde |
| genitive | des Wachhundes |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Wachhund | die Wachhunde |
| accusative | den Wachhund | die Wachhunde |
| dative | dem Wachhund | den Wachhunden |
| genitive | des Wachhundes des Wachhunds | der Wachhunde |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Wachhund' (guard dog / watchdog) consists of 'Wach-' (guarding) and 'Hund' (dog). The component 'Wach-' belongs to the same word family as 'wachen' (to keep watch) and 'bewachen' (to guard), which also helps explain the figurative use.
Ein Wachhund passt auf, während die Bewohner schlafen.
A guard dog keeps watch while the residents sleep.
Common combinations include 'einen Wachhund halten' (to keep a guard dog), 'einen Wachhund einsetzen' (to use a guard dog), and 'einen Wachhund ausbilden' (to train a guard dog). 'Einsetzen' (to use / deploy) describes deliberately using the dog for guarding.
Die Sicherheitsfirma setzt auf dem Lagerplatz einen Wachhund ein.
The security company uses a guard dog at the storage yard.
The figurative meaning often appears in the patterns 'als Wachhund fungieren' (to act as a watchdog) and 'sich als Wachhund verstehen' (to see oneself as a watchdog). 'Als Wachhund' (as a watchdog) describes the monitoring role of a person or organization; in German, 'als' (as) is usually followed by no article in this construction.
Der Verein versteht sich als Wachhund und prüft, ob die Stadt ihre Umweltversprechen einhält.
The association sees itself as a watchdog and checks whether the city keeps its environmental promises.
