Is “Go down like a shot dog” a well-received turn of phrase?

Question

I came across the phrase “It would go down like a shot dog” in the Hill’s article (December 30th), which comes under the headline, “Hawley (Josh Hawley -R-Mo) to challenge Electoral College result in Senate.” It follows;

“I mean, in the Senate, it would go down like a shot dog,” Sen. John
Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters this month. “I just don’t think it makes
a lot of sense to put everybody through this.”

I presume the phrase implies Sen. Hawley’s motion will turn out to be futile, but I was unable to find the meaning of the phrase, “go down like a shot dog” in neither English language dictionaries in print nor online dictionaries.
What is an exact meaning of “go down like a shot dog”? Is it a well-received English phrase? If not, are there any other well-established, similar turn of phrases to this phrase?

AlannaRose · Answer

Considering (1) the only mentions in my initial research were from the same quote and (2) as a native US speaker I've never heard this particular turn of phrase before, I wouldn't say it's an idiom or common phrase --- just him making a simile.
It could be a reference to shooting an old/ill/injured dog as a method of euthanasia in times or places where modern methods are unavailable. It was fairly common and does still happen (see for example, this study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1481111/).
If you interpret "to do down" as to literally fall down, the meaning would be "the proposal would fail quickly". Specifying a "shot dog" carries an implication of being put out its misery, or perhaps as niamulbengali noted, something the general public would dislike.
Edited to add: niamulbengali found an exact use of the phrase and a few similar ones, but given the infrequency (40 hits in 200 years), I stand by my conclusion that it is not a common phrase, and I do not think the Senator was referencing any earlier works. "It's been a hard days night, and I've been working like a dog", for example, wouldn't be related at all. At most, I'd say "like a dog" is commonly used in similes and writing, with different meaning.

niamulbengali · Answer

The Origin of "Like a Shot Dog"
The first usage of this exact phrase seems to be in Plague of Gunfighters by Tom Anson in 1997:

Dave Schiller went down like a shot dog, hurt and bleeding, while Rob Purnell stood over him, over him, his chest heaving, his breath rasping, knuckles aflame with pain, the blood from his own nose now all down the front of his shirt .

A subsequent usage is seen in The Spear of Tyranny by Grant R. Jeffrey in 2000:

Howling, he went down like a shot dog, and Sarah took Rachel's hand.

It was also used by Gold-Net Australia Online in 1999 but in a different form:

He was trembling like a shot dog.

If we be lenient, we will find "like a shot dog" used in Sketches of Travel: The East, the Far East and Some of the By-paths Thither by John A. J. Kendig in 1882:

Uttering a loud howl that rings in your ears for a week, he flies round, at the hazard of his life, and seizing his foot sucks the wound like a shot dog.

"Down like a shot dog" seems to be a newer, specific version of "like a shot dog". Though these may be unpopular (40 hits from 1800–present), as the OP suggests, this usage is not totally isolated, as @alannarose says. From what I gather, the term found the most popularity in Australia in the 21st century.
What Does "Go Down Like a Shot Dog" Mean?
Frankly, only an informed local in Australia or the USA could confirm. "Go down" can mean "to be received in a particular way",5 which I find suitable. A "shot dog" is enough to spark an outrage: everyone dislikes a dog getting shot.
To conclude, to go down like a shot dog possibly means to be received with mass outrage. I may be mistaken.

Is “Go down like a shot dog” a well-received turn of phrase?

2 Answers

The Origin of "Like a Shot Dog"

What Does "Go Down Like a Shot Dog" Mean?

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