have a dog in the fight

The phrase "have a dog in the fight" is an idiomatic expression that means to have a vested interest, stake, or personal involvement in a specific situation, issue, or conflict. It implies being actively engaged or having a reason to care about the outcome of something. The origin of this phrase comes from hunting dogs, where each dog would have a role and purpose in the hunt, and their owners would have a personal interest in their performance.