▁" You ▁ain ' t ▁not hin ' ▁but ▁a ▁h ound ▁dog ", ▁was ▁a ▁eu ph em ism , ▁said ▁Le iber ▁The ▁song , ▁a ▁Southern ▁bl ues ▁l ament , ▁is ▁" the ▁tale ▁of ▁a ▁woman ▁throwing ▁a ▁gig olo ▁out ▁of ▁her ▁house ▁and ▁her ▁life ": ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁written ▁for ▁a ▁woman ▁to ▁sing ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁ber ates ▁" her ▁self ish , ▁explo itative ▁man ", ▁and ▁in ▁it ▁she ▁" express es ▁a ▁woman ' s ▁re jection ▁of ▁a ▁man ▁– ▁the ▁met ap hor ical ▁dog ▁in ▁the ▁title ". ▁According ▁to ▁I ain ▁Thomas , ▁"' H ound ▁Dog ' ▁emb od ies ▁the ▁Thor nt on ▁persona ▁she ▁had ▁craft ed ▁as ▁a ▁com ed ienne ▁prior ▁to ▁entering ▁the ▁music ▁business " ▁by ▁par ading ▁" the ▁classic ▁pun s , ▁extended ▁met aph ors , ▁and ▁sexual ▁double ▁ent end res ▁so ▁popular ▁with ▁the ▁b aw dy ▁genre ." ▁R & B ▁expert ▁George ▁A . ▁Mo ono og ian ▁conc urs , ▁calling ▁it ▁" a ▁bit ing ▁and ▁sc ath ing ▁sat ire ▁in ▁the ▁double - ent endre ▁genre " ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁rh ythm ▁and ▁bl ues . ▁ ▁Le iber ▁and ▁St ol ler ▁wrote ▁the ▁song ▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁in ▁ 1 2 ▁to ▁ 1 5 ▁minutes , ▁with ▁Le iber ▁scri bb ling ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁in ▁p enc il