barking up the wrong tree

The phrase "barking up the wrong tree" means to pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action or to direct one's efforts or accusations toward the wrong person or thing. It originates from hunting dogs barking at the base of a tree where they mistakenly believe their prey, such as raccoons or squirrels, to be hiding, while the actual prey is in a different tree. In a figurative sense, the phrase implies that someone is focusing their attention or energy in an ineffective or fruitless way.