Now you can often hear how young people call the train a dog. It would seem that this type of transport has no external resemblance to a pet. But then why is the train called a dog? No one can give a definite answer to this question, but there are several assumptions. Below are all the options for guessing why trains are called dogs.
Historical version
Many experts say that the train began to be called a dog in Soviet times. Students got to the desired city (Moscow or St. Petersburg) with transfers. That is, first they went to Tver or Chudov by one electric train, and then they transferred to another. It turned out that the students moved on the chaise, as on sled dogs. But then why is the train called a dog, not a horse? Not a single dictionary of jargon gives an answer to this question. Historical sources only indicate that in the 70-80s this was a slang of young people.
This usage can be found in literary texts. Y. Shevchuk mentions the train as a dog in his song. In the riddle of that time about the green and long train, smelling of sausage, the answer was “dog”. The fact is that before they went to Moscow for sausages by electric train from nearby cities, since it was not in small settlements. The authorship of this terminology is attributed to Muscovites, because Leningraders at that time called the train an electron.
Other versions
Residents of the North argue that the answer to the question of why the train is called a dog should be considered an analogy with dog teams. Sled dogs were exchanged along the way, just like some people change trains from trains to trains to get to the place faster.
Another hunch is based on the similarity of a dog squeal and a creak from braking the train. Others, in their assumptions, compare the crowd in an electric train with fleas in dog hair. At rush hour, a lot of people cram into cars, which are often compared not only to a herring in a barrel, but also to small blood-sucking insects in animal hair.
Often, the female controller is called an aunt or a dog, because she has to swear with passengers who forget or do not want to buy a ticket. According to one version, the train was so named because it makes frequent stops, like the dog at each pillar.
Finally
The above assumptions do not give an exact answer to the question of why the train is called a dog. It still remains open, since it is now difficult to distinguish where is truth and where is fiction. All versions have a right to exist. Perhaps someone will be able to offer their interesting options.