Not until the last dog is hung

Posted by NancyRose on May 02, 2000

What is the derivation of this phrase? I never heard it, but my husband and his male friends have. (I don't think a woman would ever talk of hanging a puppy!) Does this refer to the dogs in fox hunting, dog sled racing, U.S. posses chasing escaped convicts with blood hounds, or a butcher making sausage-shaped treats?