The narrator starts out by not giving out much about his life or who he is other than the fact that his wife has just left him and he lives near a hotspot for hunters. He is caught in his bathrobe the day before Thanksgiving by two hunter women (he seems to focus heavily on how fat they are). He invites them in for coffee and one of the women, Phyllis, who initially seemed cold and suspicious of him, begins to loosen up and chat a little. The narrator notes that both of these women make the house feel warm and cheery and he compares it to his wife, who apparently never had much of a presence.
Something rather curious that is talked about is the brief question of ‘do you ever go to the dogs?’ asked by Phyllis. He replies yes, with his wife. I had to go back and reread that page several times before understanding that they likely meant a bar or restaurant of some kind. He inquires about whether they’re married (from his earlier description, I assumed off the bat that they were lesbians) and the topic seems to be a touchy one for them. They say that they are both married to salesmen whom they find rather dull.
Things take a surprising turn when Bonnie propositions the narrator. He takes her up on it while Phyllis chooses to tidy up the narrator’s house. The narrator seems fond of Bonnie and her character, and seems to become even fonder of her body as he touches it, musing about how soft it is. Once they’re finished, he offers to let both of them stay the night, but Phyllis elects for them to leave. The narrator notes that Bonnie seems genuinely apologetic about not staying. Once they are gone, the narrator finds a spark of inspiration to leave for Florida, to forget about his wife. However, upon going through his wallet, he finds that Phyllis has taken the contents (save for some matches and change). It seems quite possible that Bonnie knew about such a plan as well, thus her offer for sex. The ending leaves the reader wanting to read more and see where the narrator, Lloyd’s, path takes him, as he states that he got the sense that this was the beginning of a slew of bad luck.
Going to the dogs, as a phrase, means a situation or object becoming worse. By the very end of the story, the title suddenly makes sense.
I thought that the title was fitting as well, but I will say that I never got the feeling that the ending of the story was the beginning of Lloyd’s bad luck. It seemed to me like it had already started, what with the financial issues, marital problems, and his general lack of satisfaction with the people around him and his own life. Having the contents of his wallet stolen only seemed to be the tip of the iceberg; while I do think that the ending of the story was foretelling his luck getting worse, I think that it was more indicative of the narrator’s lack of awareness about his own life and the people who came and went into it.
“Something rather curious that is talked about is the brief question of ‘do you ever go to the dogs?’ asked by Phyllis. He replies yes, with his wife. I had to go back and reread that page several times before understanding that they likely meant a bar or restaurant of some kind.”
The question refers to the dog track, where dogs (greyhounds) race and people bet on which dog will win. But, of course, as you suggest, the expression “going to the dogs” is applicable to this narrator and his circumstances.