Cryptic crossword clue
Dog is free, say, to run round tail 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word RIDGEBACK

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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Dog" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case dog = ridgeback.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does RIDGEBACK mean?

RIDGEBACK noun
  1. Any of three breeds of dog with a distinctive ridge of hair that runs against the grain of the rest of the coat along the spine: the Rhodesian Ridgeback, the Phu Quoc Ridgeback and the Thai Ridgeback.

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