--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dogs possess a quality that's rare among…" description: "\"Dogs possess a quality that's rare among humans -- the ability to make you feel valued just by being you -- and it was something of a miracle to me to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/caroline-knapp-7652_ability_dogs-possess-a-quality-that-s-rare-among_2673857.jpg" --- # Dogs possess a quality that's rare among humans -- the… ![“Dogs possess a quality that's rare among humans -- the ability to make you feel valued just by being you -- and it was something of a miracle to me to be on the receiving end of all that acceptance. The dog didn't care what I looked like, or what I did for a living, or what a train wreck of a life…” quote by Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/caroline-knapp-7652_ability_dogs-possess-a-quality-that-s-rare-among_2673857.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/caroline-knapp-7652_ability_dogs-possess-a-quality-that-s-rare-among_2673857.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/caroline-knapp-7652_ability_dogs-possess-a-quality-that-s-rare-among_2673857.jpg) > “Dogs possess a quality that's rare among humans -- the ability to make you feel valued just by being you -- and it was something of a miracle to me to be on the receiving end of all that acceptance. The dog didn't care what I looked like, or what I did for a living, or what a train wreck of a life I'd led before I got her, or what we did from day to day. She just wanted to be with me, and that awareness gave me a singular sensation of delight.” [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dogs offer unconditional acceptance, valuing us for who we are, not our status, creating a profound feeling of delight. **In simple terms:** Dogs love you just for being you. Key Takeaway Cherish and emulate unconditional acceptance. Themes companionship acceptance self‑esteem delight miracle Mood warm grateful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - friendship - mental health - daily interactions Key Concepts animal behavior emotional intelligence human‑animal bond Questions to Reflect On - How can we extend this acceptance to human relationships? - What practices nurture self‑acceptance without pets? A Different Perspective Reliance on pets may mask addressing issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Dogs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogs/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Miracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miracle/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Sensations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensations/) [Train](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train/) [Train wrecks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train-wrecks/) ## Related quotes > [“Dogs possess a quality that's rare among humans--the ability to make you feel valued just by being you--and it was something of a miracle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/dogs-possess-a-quality-that-s-rare-among-humans-the-ability-to-make-2/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [People still want to escape, but today's escape is different. People now want to know that there are people out there who have more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-mccrary/people-still-want-to-escape-but-today-s-escape-is-different-people/) [Darius McCrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-mccrary/) > [I have always felt a little strange about it being so unique that I'm not a train wreck. Like, this weird fluke that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-have-always-felt-a-little-strange-about-it-being-so-unique-that-i-m/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Train wreck, extremely fast train, but usually ends up derailed somehow,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-bowyer/train-wreck-extremely-fast-train-but-usually-ends-up-derailed-somehow/) [Clint Bowyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-bowyer/) > [Everyone's life is a train wreck. Your life happens to be a high-class train wreck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyne-daly/everyone-s-life-is-a-train-wreck-your-life-happens-to-be-a-high-class/) [Tyne Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyne-daly/) > [People always slow down for a train wreck. It's like junk food. If you don't feel good about yourself, you want to read crap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/people-always-slow-down-for-a-train-wreck-it-s-like-junk-food-if-you/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [In your life’s journey, there will be excitement and fulfillment, boredom and routine, and even the occasional train wreck… But when you have picked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-melroy/in-your-life-s-journey-there-will-be-excitement-and-fulfillment/) Pamela Melroy > [I don't like to watch train wrecks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/i-don-t-like-to-watch-train-wrecks/) [Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/) > [I just see a huge train wreck coming down. You and I have discussed this many times, and I don't see any results yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-baucus/i-just-see-a-huge-train-wreck-coming-down-you-and-i-have-discussed/) [Max Baucus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-baucus/) > [I'm attracted to creative people and train wrecks, and there's no shortage of that in Los Angeles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/i-m-attracted-to-creative-people-and-train-wrecks-and-there-s-no/) [Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/) > [I knew a lot of chords, but they weren't the chords that came with the melody that came with the idea I had for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/i-knew-a-lot-of-chords-but-they-weren-t-the-chords-that-came-with-the/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [I've had enough boyfriends and enough issues. I'd seen enough train wrecks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-had-enough-boyfriends-and-enough-issues-i-d-seen-enough-train/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The thing about Janis is that she just looked so unique, an ugly duckling dressed as a princess, fearlessly so. Seeing her live was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/the-thing-about-janis-is-that-she-just-looked-so-unique-an-ugly/) [Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/) > [If it doesn't work, at least it will be an interesting train wreck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/if-it-doesn-t-work-at-least-it-will-be-an-interesting-train-wreck/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I just always wanted to sit in a casting session and see all of the train wrecks that come in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holland-roden/i-just-always-wanted-to-sit-in-a-casting-session-and-see-all-of-the/) [Holland Roden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holland-roden/) ## More by Caroline Knapp > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [The kinds of roles dogs fill can be hard to come by in human relationships. We touch the dog or the pet at whim.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/the-kinds-of-roles-dogs-fill-can-be-hard-to-come-by-in-human/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [It happened this way: I fell in love and then, because the love was ruining everything I cared about, I had to fall out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/it-happened-this-way-i-fell-in-love-and-then-because-the-love-was/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Was he smart enough? Introspective enough? Was it just enough to love him, or should I attach myself to someone who seemed farther ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/was-he-smart-enough-introspective-enough-was-it-just-enough-to-love/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Who has the best features? This was a little game, conducted several times and always with the same results, in seventh grade, the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/who-has-the-best-features-this-was-a-little-game-conducted-several/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [“Life had this unmoored quality, full of voids and barely acknowledged yearnings, and if I'd made a list of things I wanted desperately at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/life-had-this-unmoored-quality-full-of-voids-and-barely-acknowledged/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [The hard things in life, the things you really learn from, happen with a clear mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/the-hard-things-in-life-the-things-you-really-learn-from-happen-with/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [When you're starving or wrapped up in a cycle of binge-ing-and-purging, or sexually obsessed with (someone), it is very hard to think about anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/when-you-re-starving-or-wrapped-up-in-a-cycle-of-binge-ing-and/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Dogs are fantasies that don't disappoint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/dogs-are-fantasies-that-don-t-disappoint/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [The clothes are different: pre-dog, I used to be very finicky and self-conscious about how I looked; now I schlep around in the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/the-clothes-are-different-pre-dog-i-used-to-be-very-finicky-and-self/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Dogs have such short life spans, it's like a concentrated version of a human life. When they get older, they become much more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/dogs-have-such-short-life-spans-it-s-like-a-concentrated-version-of-a/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Anorexia is a response to cultural images of the female body - waiflike, angular - that both capitulates to the ideal and also mocks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/anorexia-is-a-response-to-cultural-images-of-the-female-body-waiflike/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [By definition, memoir demands a certain degree of introspection and self-disclosure: In order to fully engage a reader, the narrator has to make herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/by-definition-memoir-demands-a-certain-degree-of-introspection-and/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Academic achievement was something I'd always sought as a form of reward. Good grades pleased my parents, good grades pleased my teachers; you got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/academic-achievement-was-something-i-d-always-sought-as-a-form-of/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [These are big trade-offs for a simple piece of cake - add five hundred calories, subtract well-being, allure, and self-esteem - and the feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/these-are-big-trade-offs-for-a-simple-piece-of-cake-add-five-hundred/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) [Explore all 89 Caroline Knapp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Dogs possess a quality that's rare among humans -- the ability to make you feel valued just by being you -- and it was something of a miracle to me to be on the receiving end of all that acceptance. 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