What do Sleeping dogs represent?

Sleeping dogs represent the hidden truth that Emma has tucked away for twenty-eight years. It refers to the colloquialism, "best let sleeping dogs lie." The phrase infers that when a dog is asleep there is no danger or trouble from the dog. But, as Emma herself is aware, the dog will eventually wake up. Then, you have to face it and do something about it. When the phrase is first mentioned, it presents a bit of foreshadowing, indicating that further along in the novel, something omino