Since doghouse, as a synonym for dog
kennels, can be traced back to at least 1611, we"d expect that the
expression in the doghouse, out of favor or undergoing punishment, would
be of ancient origin. The phrase, however, seems to be an Americanism that
is first recorded at the turn of the century. One guess is that the term
originated during the African slave trade, when Yankee sailors locked the
hatches at night to prevent slaves from escaping and slept deck in tiny
sleeping cubicles called "doghouses." But there are no quotations to
support this theory and most authorities believe in the doghouse
originally referred to wives punishing their husbands; that is, a
domineering wife confining a "gay dog" who roved too much to his own home,
or "doghouse," not letting him out nights.