 Dog is a reference to the star Sirius, located in the constellation Canis Major, a mythological hunting dog belonging to Orion the Hunter. The dog star aligns with the sun in midsummer, July 23rd to be precise. And because ancient Romans presumed the conjunction of the sun and the bright star produced additional heat, 20 days on either side of the solar alignment became forever known as Summer's Dog Days. That is the Old Farmers' Almanac Radio Report. Find more old-time lore at almanac.com.