Mankind’s love affair with dogs is nothing new. Plato, who
lived from 427-357BC proclaimed that, like himself, "A dog has
the soul of a philosopher." Around the same time, Aristotle assured
listeners “There is honor in being a dog." St. Bernard
of Clairvaux, (1090-1153) was just the first in a congregation of
millions who have announced unequivocally "Love me, love my dog."
The English poet Alexander Pope noted that "Histories are more
full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends."
American poet Emily Dickinson believed “They are better than
human beings because they know but do not tell." Advice from
author Rudyard Kipling was “Buy a pup and your money will buy
love unflinching."
Writers particularly seem to develop an appreciation for dogs. English
author Samuel Butler explained that "The great pleasure of a
dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only
will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too."
George Eliot the English novelist called dogs "Agreeable friends
- they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." Robert Louis
Stevenson challenged his contemporaries. “You think dogs will
not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of
us.” Edith Wharton,Pulitzer prize winning author of Age of Innocence,
referred to her small dog as "A heart beat, at my feet."
US author Virginia Graham approved dog manners. "Say something
idiotic and nobody but a dog politely wags his tail."
Irish author Barbara Woodhouse was also a dog trainer. She held that
“Dogs understand your moods and your thoughts, and if you are
thinking unpleasant things about your dog, he will pick it up and
be downhearted.” Woodhouse believed “"The dog has
an enviable mind; it remembers the nice things in life and quickly
blots out the nasty." She was one of many to defend smooching
pets. "I've caught more ills from people sneezing over me and
giving me virus infections than from kissing dogs.”
Elizabeth Taylor once commented, “Some of my best leading men
have been dogs and horses.” Feminist attorney Gloria Allred’s
statement “The more I know about men, the more I like dogs”
was echoed by a generation of women.
But, dogs are equal opportunity pets – men love them as whole
heartedly as women.
Mark Twain said. "Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit,
you would stay out and your dog would go in. Andy Rooney claims “The
average dog is a nicer person than the average person” German
writer Franz Kafka believed “All knowledge, the totality of
all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog." Henrik
Ibsen, Norwegian dramatist, protested "It's inexcusable for scientists
to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists
and politicians." Novelist Christopher Morley pointed out "No
one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as a
dog does." And humorist Josh Billings observed, "A dog is
the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself."
Czechoslovakian author Milan Kundera has been translated into every
major language with this quote. “Dogs are our link to paradise.
They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog
on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where
doing nothing was not boring - it was peace."
American Presidents have a long-standing love relationship with dogs.
Harry Truman said, "Children and dogs are as necessary to the
welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads." Woodrow
Wilson warned "If a dog will not come to you after he has looked
you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."
Norman Rockwell said “If a picture wasn’t going well,
I’d put a dog in it.” That may be good advice for almost
any situation. If something’s not going well – life, the
day, a moment- put a dog in it. PL
Dog Talk
“One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you’re
feeling blue is he doesn’t try to find out why.”
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
Roger Caras
“Puppies are nature’s remedy for feeling unloved, plus
numerous other ailments in life”
“If you want to be liked, get a dog. The people you work with
are not your friends.”
“No matter how little money and how few possessions you own,
having a dog makes you rich.”
“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, our dog. You
are his life, his love his leader. He will be yours, faithful and
true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy
of such devotion.”
“To err is human - to forgive, canine."
"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail
instead of his tongue."
""The best thing about a man is his dog." French Proverb
"The dog was created specially for children. He is the god
of frolic." Henry Ward Beecher,
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to
train him to be semi human. The point of it is to open oneself to
the possibility of becoming partly a dog."
"Happiness is a warm puppy."
"When all other friends desert, he remains." - George
G. Vest
"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has
to choose a relative."
"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking
your face.”
“If your dog is fat, you need to exercise more.”
“Dogs lives are too short...their only fault, really."
Agnes Turnbull
Next month: CATS
Send an Email About This Article