It’s July 22, which means we are smack dab in the middle of the Dogs Days of Summer.

The term, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, is used to describe the period between July and August, which include some of the longest and hottest sunlit days of the year.

Many states in the U.S. are experiencing extreme heat during this year’s Dog Days, with temperatures soaring well into danger zones for humans and animals alike. People are told to stay indoors during peak sun hours, hydrate and try and stay as cool as possible.

In some southern states, these “Dog Days” are much like what ancient Greek and Romans thought when this time of year brought drought, bad luck and unrest due to the heat.

Several southwestern states have stayed in triple digits for so many days that it’s hard not to feel like they are truly baking.

But why is this period called “Dog Days.”

Is it because dogs and humans lay around and try and get away from the heat?

Looking at your cute pooch, you wonder why these days are named after a dog?

It’s not really what you think.

The term Dog Days comes from the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, which becomes the second brightest star in the sky in the summer months. Sirius is also one of the hunting dogs of Orion.

According to USAFact.org, the Dog star, which is in the constellation Canis Major, is mentioned in Greek poetry as far back as 700 BC.

“If you go back even as far as Homer, The Iliad, it’s referring to Sirius as Orion’s dog rising, and it describes the star as being associated with war and disaster,” said Jay B. Holberg, author of Sirius: Brightest Diamond in the Night Sky and senior research scientist at the University of Arizona Lunar & Planetary Laboratory in an article in National Geographic. “All throughout Greek and Roman literature, you found these things.”

Researchers also feel the metaphor between dog and heat is valid due to the animal’s lack of significant amounts of sweat glands.

Over the years, the meaning has shifted though, and according to National Geographic, the phrase has taken on new meaning and now includes that period of time where you are just ready for your vacation to a beach to “beat the heat.”

No matter if these are truly the “Dog Days” of Summer or just a time where the sun’s rays hit more directly on the northern hemisphere, the message for humans remains the same.

Stay hydrated.

Stay cool.

Stay safe.