I have always assumed it was a recent name and referred to the
similarity with the pot dogs people always used to have either side of
the mantelpiece, or the fireplace, i.e. objects either side of a hot
bright thing. Oh well.....
--
Anita Evans
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I think they're 'sundogs' because they 'dog' the real sun, i.e. follow it
about; like the dogstar follows Orion, presumably. An online dictionary
helpfully defines 'dog' as 'To track or trail persistently: "A stranger then
is still dogging us" (Arthur Conan Doyle)'.

There's a 'moondog' as well, American (perhaps Brit as well for all I know),
being a star which supposedly always appears close to the moon - useless bit
of info off the cover of an old Pentangle record I've got with a song called
'Moondog' on it.

Must say I much prefer your 'one on each side of a hot bright thing' theory
though!

Marion Doran
N.E. Essex