--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dogs, bless them, operate on the premise…" description: "\"Dogs, bless them, operate on the premise that human beings are fragile and require incessant applications of affection and reassurance. The random lick..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e36/mary-mcgrory-28645_affection_dogs-bless-them-operate-on-the-premise-t_247172.jpg" --- # Dogs, bless them, operate on the premise that human beings… ![“Dogs, bless them, operate on the premise that human beings are fragile and require incessant applications of affection and reassurance. The random lick of a hand and the furry chin draped over the instep are calculated to let the shaky owner know that a friend is nearby.” quote by Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e36/mary-mcgrory-28645_affection_dogs-bless-them-operate-on-the-premise-t_247172.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e36/mary-mcgrory-28645_affection_dogs-bless-them-operate-on-the-premise-t_247172.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e36/mary-mcgrory-28645_affection_dogs-bless-them-operate-on-the-premise-t_247172.jpg) > “Dogs, bless them, operate on the premise that human beings are fragile and require incessant applications of affection and reassurance. The random lick of a hand and the furry chin draped over the instep are calculated to let the shaky owner know that a friend is nearby.” [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dogs provide constant, tactile reassurance that comforts vulnerable humans, reinforcing the bond through simple, caring actions. **In simple terms:** Dogs comfort fragile people with gentle affection. Key Takeaway Offer small acts of reassurance to those in need. Themes compassion human‑animal bond vulnerability comfort Mood calming empathetic Type therapeutic descriptive When to use this quote - caring for a pet - comforting a grieving friend - stress relief routines - therapy animal programs Key Concepts attachment theory emotional support behavioral conditioning Questions to Reflect On - In what ways can we provide reassurance without pets? - How does tactile affection affect stress levels? A Different Perspective Reliance on dogs may limit development of self‑soothing skills. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Reassurance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reassurance/) ## Related quotes > [One cannot watch chimpanzee infants for long without realizing that they have the same emotional need for affection and reassurance as human children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/one-cannot-watch-chimpanzee-infants-for-long-without-realizing-that/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [This is all I've ever known. I don't know what it's like to not walk shaky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-blue/this-is-all-i-ve-ever-known-i-don-t-know-what-it-s-like-to-not-walk/) [Josh Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-blue/) > [“Personally, I didn't take a single photograph while I was there, but that's not all that unusual for me. I suppose my aversion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/personally-i-didn-t-take-a-single-photograph-while-i-was-there-but/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“sweaty palms. check. shaky bones. check. the feeling that all oxygen in the air has been replaced by helium. yup.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/sweaty-palms-check-shaky-bones-check-the-feeling-that-all-oxygen-in/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Call me Shaky, not Michael. I've been Shaky for so long it would be like calling Muddy Waters McKinley, wouldn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakin-stevens/call-me-shaky-not-michael-i-ve-been-shaky-for-so-long-it-would-be/) [Shakin' Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakin-stevens/) > [You're so perfect, I get shaky and my breathing gets heavy and I never thought I'd feel this again..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-so-perfect-i-get-shaky-and-my-breathing-gets-heavy-and-i-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As he slipped the lock into place again he realized his hand was trembling. He held up his shaky fingers where he could see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-sakavic/as-he-slipped-the-lock-into-place-again-he-realized-his-hand-was/) [Nora Sakavic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-sakavic/) > [I'm going to ensure justice, where justice is shaky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-wright-jr/i-m-going-to-ensure-justice-where-justice-is-shaky/) [Isaac Wright Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-wright-jr/) > [Certain people don't want you to see your light when you're a bit shaky in it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-runway/certain-people-don-t-want-you-to-see-your-light-when-you-re-a-bit/) [Bree Runway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-runway/) > [“I want you too. I'll probably lose my mind if I can't be inside you tonight." He exhaled a shaky breath. "I just don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-wild/i-want-you-too-i-ll-probably-lose-my-mind-if-i-can-t-be-inside-you/) [Meredith Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-wild/) > [“If your hands are that shaky, then, any chance of a hand job?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-parrish/if-your-hands-are-that-shaky-then-any-chance-of-a-hand-job/) Scarlett Parrish > [Meaning is a shaky edifice we build out of scraps, dogmas, childhood injuries, newspaper articles, chance remarks, old fillms, small victories, people hated, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/meaning-is-a-shaky-edifice-we-build-out-of-scraps-dogmas-childhood/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Just when you think world has found a perfect balance, someone starts a live video with terrible sound and shaky footage, often slow internet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crestless-wave/just-when-you-think-world-has-found-a-perfect-balance-someone-starts/) Crestless Wave > [“She didn't even want to think of how hellish it would be if all the MacGregors made her feel like this one did, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-m-pillow/she-didn-t-even-want-to-think-of-how-hellish-it-would-be-if-all-the/) [Michelle M. Pillow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-m-pillow/) > [Be very nervous of the shaky hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-rule/be-very-nervous-of-the-shaky-hands/) [Ja Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-rule/) ## More by Mary McGrory > [Baseball is what we were, and football is what we have become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/baseball-is-what-we-were-and-football-is-what-we-have-become/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [Baseball has a special place in our hearts. It is the game that shows us as we would like to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/baseball-has-a-special-place-in-our-hearts-it-is-the-game-that-shows/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [ \[On Italy:\] ... the country where kindness to strangers is a religion, you can't turn your head without seeing something beautiful, and you can't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/on-italy-the-country-where-kindness-to-strangers-is-a-religion-you/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [ \[On George H.W. Bush:\] A man who wishes to lead the Western world should be able to find the right words, string them together… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/on-george-h-w-bush-a-man-who-wishes-to-lead-the-western-world-should/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [Haldeman is the only man in America in this generation who let his hair grow for a courtroom appearance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/haldeman-is-the-only-man-in-america-in-this-generation-who-let-his/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [You need the will to disarm the civilian population. If we can do it in Somalia, we can do it here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/you-need-the-will-to-disarm-the-civilian-population-if-we-can-do-it/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [Anyone who has undergone home repair lately knows that your everyday artisan uses language so loosely and makes false promises so glibly as to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/anyone-who-has-undergone-home-repair-lately-knows-that-your-everyday/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [And the propensity of weak and empty people to follow a leader into the darkness from which there is no return is still flourishing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/and-the-propensity-of-weak-and-empty-people-to-follow-a-leader-into/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [Human sacrifice is much in vogue right now. The Republican right thinks that people who get on its nerves, especially women, should be sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/human-sacrifice-is-much-in-vogue-right-now-the-republican-right/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [Appliances have idiosyncracies, just like us. Unfortunately they have picked up our less attractive traits - they are proud, spiteful, and unforgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/appliances-have-idiosyncracies-just-like-us-unfortunately-they-have/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [ \[On men:\] On their best days, the best of them are eight years old. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/on-men-on-their-best-days-the-best-of-them-are-eight-years-old/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [ \[On Senator Everett Dirksen:\] His great enemy was boredom and he won every engagement. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/on-senator-everett-dirksen-his-great-enemy-was-boredom-and-he-won/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [ \[On George H.W. Bush vs. Michael Dukakis:\] Americans now know they can vote for a man who can't express his thoughts or a man… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/on-george-h-w-bush-vs-michael-dukakis-americans-now-know-they-can/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [If there is a secret to writing, I haven’t found it yet. All I know is you need to sit down, clear your mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/if-there-is-a-secret-to-writing-i-haven-t-found-it-yet-all-i-know-is/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [I am hoping for better times. That's how you know us hapless gardeners - by our dirty fingernails and our absurd, unquenchable optimism about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/i-am-hoping-for-better-times-that-s-how-you-know-us-hapless-gardeners/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) [Explore all 19 Mary McGrory quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) ## More Affection quotes > [My team and I have reunited two elements that coexist with diffiulty: respect and affection, because when they love you they don't respect you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/my-team-and-i-have-reunited-two-elements-that-coexist-with-diffiulty/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [“It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/it-is-to-build-a-house-with-affection-even-as-if-your-beloved-were-to/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [A lost love. Deny it who will, ridicule it, treat it as mere imagination and sentiment, the thing is and will be; and women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/a-lost-love-deny-it-who-will-ridicule-it-treat-it-as-mere-imagination/) [Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/) > [Affection! Affection is false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/affection-affection-is-false/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [We are a spectacular, splendid manifestation of life. We have language. . . . We have affection. We have genes for usefulness, and usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-a-spectacular-splendid-manifestation-of-life-we-have-language/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Listen, I have a great affection and respect for Joe Biden. I think he's been a great vice president. He's taken on a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/listen-i-have-a-great-affection-and-respect-for-joe-biden-i-think-he/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) > [The still affection of the heart Became an outward breathing type, That into stillness past again, And left a want unknown before; Although the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-still-affection-of-the-heart-became-an-outward-breathing-type/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [I am persuaded that there is no affection of the human heart more exquisitely pure, than that which is felt by a grateful son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/i-am-persuaded-that-there-is-no-affection-of-the-human-heart-more/) [Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [Our sweetest experiences of affection are meant to be suggestions of that realm which is the home of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/our-sweetest-experiences-of-affection-are-meant-to-be-suggestions-of/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“Georgia O’Keeffe moved to rural New Mexico, from which she would sign her letters to the people she loved, “from the faraway nearby.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/georgia-o-keeffe-moved-to-rural-new-mexico-from-which-she-would-sign/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) [Browse all 2,465 Affection quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Dogs, bless them, operate on the premise that human beings are fragile and require incessant applications of affection and reassurance. 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