Perseverance pays dividends

To pull the strings

You're not a welldigger until you dig your first well

Better to lounge in the city than study in the country

An endless stream of people

looking sharp

to neigh

encircling, surrounding

An example of something obvious, e.g., Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear shit in the woods?

Dogs can sense dog lovers

A big no-no

Like cats and dogs

Not as useful as a dog, but still better than a cat

Talking to a wall

Chasing your tail

One man's loss is another's gain

A lucky shot

Wishing for the impossible

A dog is loyal to its master, a cat, to its home

Dog is man's best friend

Do all the work and have someone else take the credit

①Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong ②Seek, and ye shall find

① Harvest rice when it droops, harvest barely just before ② To everything there is a season

Keep your head up in failure, and your head down in success