If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
Man is a dog’s idea of what God should be.
—Holbrook Jackson (1874–1948) British Journalist, Writer, Publisher
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your 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.
—Anonymous
If there was any petting to be done…he chose to do it. Often he would sit looking at me, and then, moved by a delicate affection, come and pull at my coat and sleeve until he could touch my face with his nose, and then go away contented.
—Charles Dudley Warner (1829–1900) American Essayist, Novelist
My little dog – a heartbeat at my feet.
—Edith Wharton (1862–1937) American Novelist, Short-story Writer
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
—Andy Rooney (b.1919) American Writer, Humorist, TV Personality
A dog with two homes is never any good
—Irish Proverb
A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of.
—Ogden Nash (1902–71) American Writer of Sophisticated Light Verse
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.
—Gilda Radner (1946–89) American Comedian, Actress
Dog. A kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world’s worship.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.
—Warren Bennis (1925–2014) American Business Academic, Author
You may drive a dog off the King’s armchair, and it will climb into the preacher’s pulpit; he views the world unmoved, unembarrassed, unabashed.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
The Belief that man is outfitted with an immortal soul, differing altogether from the engines which operate the lower animals, is ridiculously unjust to them. The difference between the smartest dog and the stupidest man
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
By what right has the dog come to be regarded as a noble animal?. The more brutal and cruel and unjust you are to him the more your fawning and adoring slave he becomes; whereas, if you shamefully misuse a cat once she will always maintain a dignified reserve toward you afterward—you will never get her full confidence again.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Outside of a dog, a book is probably man’s best friend, and inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.
—Groucho Marx (1890–1977) American Actor, Comedian, Singer
Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell.
—Emily Dickinson (1830–86) American Poet
Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
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.
—Samuel Butler
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.
—Edward Hoagland (b.1932) American Essayist, Novelist
I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts.
—John Steinbeck (1902–68) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Journalist
The more I see of the representatives of the people, the more I admire my dogs.
—Alphonse de Lamartine (1790–1869) French Poet, Politician, Historian
A really companionable and indispensable dog is an accident of nature. You can’t get it by breeding for it, and you can’t buy it with money. It just happens along.
—E. B. White (1985–99) American Essayist, Humorist
The dog was created especially for children. He is the god of frolic.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Extraordinary creature! So close a friend, and yet so remote.
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955) German Novelist, Short Story Writer, Social Critic, Philanthropist, Essayist
I always disliked dogs, those protectors of cowards who lack the courage to fight an assailant themselves.
—August Strindberg (1849–1912) Swedish Playwright, Novelist, Essayist
We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet; and amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog has made an alliance with us.
—Max De Pree (1924–2017) American Businessman
Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.
—Ask Ann Landers (1918–2002) American Advice Columnist