If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Ordering someone else’s dog is offered as a test for an inflated sense of influence. The saying uses an unresponsive audience to puncture self-importance.

What the words are saying

The joke does not provide an animal-handling method or imply that someone has a right to command another person’s animal. A useful interpretation can question presumed authority while recognising that influence depends on context and relationships. No particular animal response is guaranteed.

Everyday example

Someone checks whether their assumed authority is recognised instead of treating status as control everywhere.

When to use it

Use it to explain the humility joke rather than an actual test involving an animal.

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Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.