if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas

English

Proverb

if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas

1. Spending time with undesirable individuals will cause one to acquire their undesirable traits.

Translations

(proverb) spending time with undesirable people will cause one to take on their undesirable traits

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 (zh) (jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi)

• German: wer den Hund ins Bett lässt, steht mit Flöhen auf
• Kikuyu: mũceera na mũkũndũ akũndũkaga taguo
• Russian: с кем поведёшься, от того́ и наберёшься (s kem povedjóšʹsja, ot tovó i naberjóšʹsja)
• Scottish Gaelic: am fear a laigheas sa pholl, togaidh e an làthach
• Turkish: itle yatan bitle kalkar

See also

• if you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows
• water seeks its own level
• who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl