Sick as a Dog?

I've heard people say they were "sick as a dog." I'm not for sure what that's supposed to mean, or how that saying came about, but I think that could describe my condition right now.
Sunday morning in Charles' class I noticed a tickle in my throat, and from there it's gone downhill. Yesterday I went to school but I had a fever and was aching all over and all that jazz that comes with the flu. Today it was just terrible, so I didn't even attempt going to school.
So here's how my morning began: It was at the beginning of what my first block would be if I had gone to school this morning, that my phone starts ringing. Obviously, I was awakened from my peaceful slumber... I had two texts and my sister Hollie was calling me, so I had to get up.
I grumbled a hello and Hollie informs me that my choir director had called their phone this morning wanting to know why I wasn't at school and where I was. He didn't say so, but I think the reason he was so concerned might have been that today we were working on the italian Allstate audition piece. I'm the only one that really knows how to pronounce the italian words... Lol... Nah I'm just kidding. He might've really cared. Haha.
But I guess I'll end up going tomorrow, H1N1 or no H1N1, we have after-school practice to work on the italian piece and plus I don't like staying home. :(