dogs of war

1. The chaos that accompanies war. Yes, but don't you think that a violent action like that will free the dogs of war? The dogs of war have run wild across our country for years now, and hardly anything has been spared. And, what, the poor people who can't escape the invasion are just expected to live alongside the dogs of war?

2. Mercenaries. If we can't find enough willing soldiers, we'll have to turn to the dogs of war. Although the nation only had a small population, it boosted the size of its army by hiring the dogs of war. They're just dogs of war, though—they have no personal investment in our country.

dogs of war

1 the havoc accompanying military conflict. literary 2 mercenary soldiers.

This phrase is from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: ‘let slip the dogs of war’. The image is of hunting dogs being loosed from their leashes to pursue their prey.

2 1998 Times The good guys…may have broken the rules by employing dogs of war.