The titular dog is a reference to the omen of death in English folklore. In the North, from where Fender hails, the dog morphs into the Gytrash, a creature that haunts solitary souls. This omen often appears in other media, such as in Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles and Harry Potter. With the dog’s frequent, malevolent presence in folklore, it can be concluded that through the title ‘Me and The Dog’, Fender is referring to one’s relationship with death.
This juxtaposition between a loving companion and the grim reality of death paints a grander picture of declining mental health in the UK. In England alone, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem, and the North East has a higher suicide rate than the national average. The repeating lyric of "it’s just me and the dog" demonstrates that if people do not reach out for help, they may come to terms with the thought of death, adopting it into their lives as they would a pet dog. It also depicts helplessness but also contentedness in the relationship.
The symbolism in this song proposes that a person's relationship with death can arise from hopelessness, a feeling that develops when they are unable to seek help. The British Medical Association has described the mental health system in the UK as "failing", which only exacerbates this problem. ‘Me and The Dog’ is not only a cracking, cathartic rock tune for listeners to enjoy but also a call to action to solve the mental health crisis in Britain.