This study is a comparative study of dog metaphor in German, Igbo and Chinese. The comparative cognitive analysis of German, Igbo and Chinese animal-related idioms/proverbs was carried out to show how they share common conceptualization, while they reflect different cultural beliefs. Four research questions were used to investigate the animal-related idioms/proverbs in German, Igbo and Chinese. The main aim is to explore the socio-cultural influences upon conceptual domain mapping characterizing the human behaviour is animal behaviour conceptual metaphor upon the metaphoric use of animal-related idioms/proverbs of the three languages and cultures. In order to achieve this aim, we refer to both the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and its improved version the Cultural Cognitive Theory (CCT). The data was extracted from a number of idioms/proverbs in German, Igbo and Chinese. The idioms/proverbs were collected from books, internet sources, personal communication and intuitive knowledge. Using data including dog idioms/proverbs, we compare conceptual domain mappings. We also, compare the characterization of dog in the idioms/proverbs in order to identify both the positive and negative attributes in the conceptualization involved in the metaphoric use of dog in the idioms/proverbs of the three languages. The findings of the study show amongst other things that culture-specific features shape the metaphoric use of dog in idioms/proverbs of the three languages. Also, the findings from the culture-specificity in the use of dog metaphor reveal both positive and negative human traits in the three languages under study. In addition, the characterization of the animal behaviour and human behaviour result to both desirable/positive and undesirable/negative traits. Finally, the findings reveal some ways humans are correlated with dog attributions in German, Igbo and Chinese. Further researches requiring broader database and theories are recommended herewith to ascertain cross-cultural variation across other languages and cultures. Introduction Animal metaphors have been a great part of our language especially idioms/proverbs. Such idioms/proverbs have had the power to reflect both cognitive and cultural richness. Metaphorical understanding, according to Lakoff and Johnson (1980) occurs through a mapping across conceptual domains, that is, from a concrete source domain to an abstract target domain of experience. Our interaction with animals have given a significant place to them in our metaphorical thinking so that Kovecses (2002) cited in Johnson (2008) considers them as the extremely productive source of domains in our conceptual metaphors. Works on metaphoric interpretation reveal that non-native speakers encounter difficulty in comprehending metaphors (see Boers 2003, Littlemore & Low 2006).The outcome of the understanding of human-in general-and human behaviour-in particular-in terms of animal behaviour has generated the PEOPLE ARE ANIMAL metaphor. Studies reveal that the tendency to use animal to refer to human beings is universal. Notwithstanding, there is a high degree of culture-specificity in the pervasiveness of animal metaphors underlying the idioms/proverbs on the one hand and the type of animal which is used to refer to a certain human trait on the other hand (Deigman 2003, Johnson 2008).. The current study is a comparison of dog metaphor in German, Igbo and Chinese. The comparative cognitive analysis of German, Igbo and Chinese animal-related idioms/proverbs was carried out to show how they share common conceptualization, while they reflect different cultural beliefs. The main aim is to explore the socio-cultural influences upon conceptual domain mapping characterizing the HUMAN BEHAVIOUR IS ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR conceptual metaphor upon the metaphoric use of dog-related proverbs of the three languages and cultures. The dog is found in all the geographical regions of the world and is deemed to be the closest of all domestic animals to the humans. A considerable amount of research has been done on proverbs within the field of study known as Paremiology. Since it appears that no work has been done, to the knowledge of the researcher, in the area of comparative studies of German, Igbo and Chinese dog-related idioms/proverbs, this study is set to fill the academic gap. This is more so as Lakoff and Tuner (1989)