--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would have been so perfectly ironic if…" description: "\"It would have been so perfectly ironic if I had been killed by the dog, because I was petting a dog who was not used to being pet, because I think I'm ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/pam-houston-11232_animal_it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-i_3028044.jpg" --- # It would have been so perfectly ironic if I had been… ![“It would have been so perfectly ironic if I had been killed by the dog, because I was petting a dog who was not used to being pet, because I think I'm some kind of dog whisperer, and I think I can make any dog love me.” quote by Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/pam-houston-11232_animal_it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-i_3028044.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/pam-houston-11232_animal_it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-i_3028044.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/pam-houston-11232_animal_it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-i_3028044.jpg) > “It would have been so perfectly ironic if I had been killed by the dog, because I was petting a dog who was not used to being pet, because I think I'm some kind of dog whisperer, and I think I can make any dog love me.” [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overconfidence in handling unknown animals can lead to ironic, dangerous outcomes. **In simple terms:** Thinking you're a dog whisperer can backfire. Key Takeaway Respect animal boundaries. Themes humor irony animal behavior Mood lighthearted cautionary Type anecdotal humorous When to use this quote - hiking - dog walking - training sessions - wildlife encounters Key Concepts overconfidence risk assessment human-animal bond Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever overestimate your skill with animals? - How can humility improve safety? A Different Perspective Assuming control without knowledge can cause harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Dog love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog-love/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Ironic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ironic/) [Ironic Killed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ironic-killed-4933176/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-dog-1781306/) [Perfectly Ironic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectly-ironic-4933177/) [Pet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pet/) [Pet Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pet-think-876298/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) ## Related quotes > [I don't use the word 'pet.' I think it's speciest language. I prefer 'companion animal.' We would no longer allow... pet shops... Eventually companion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/i-don-t-use-the-word-pet-i-think-it-s-speciest-language-i-prefer/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [Women are often scrutinized when they have pets that men wouldn't have. We are immediately faulted for having the wrong kind of pet rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/women-are-often-scrutinized-when-they-have-pets-that-men-wouldn-t/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [“As I hurried along I was thinking how great it was to earn real money I don't have to ask my parents for. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-rettig/as-i-hurried-along-i-was-thinking-how-great-it-was-to-earn-real-money/) [Liz Rettig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-rettig/) > [“In the end, what i have come to believe about God is simple. It's like this - I used to have this really great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/in-the-end-what-i-have-come-to-believe-about-god-is-simple-it-s-like/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I have an incredible relationship with dogs. I'm kind of a dog-whisperer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-have-an-incredible-relationship-with-dogs-i-m-kind-of-a-dog/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [That one true heart was left behind! What feeling do we ever find, to equal among human kind , a dog's fidelity!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/that-one-true-heart-was-left-behind-what-feeling-do-we-ever-find-to/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [What kind of dog is that?" I would always give the same answer: "She's a brown dog." Similarly, when the question is raised, "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/what-kind-of-dog-is-that-i-would-always-give-the-same-answer-she-s-a/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [We’re days away from going full scale against Malone, and in the meantime, we’re under fire from above. And I’m about as useful as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/we-re-days-away-from-going-full-scale-against-malone-and-in-the/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [“I found a Cairn Terrier online. It’s perfect.” “A what?” “Pidge is from Kansas. It’s the same kind of dog Dorothy had in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/i-found-a-cairn-terrier-online-it-s-perfect-a-what-pidge-is-from/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [I had a dog named Basil, and he's the hero of the book 'Animal Firm.' Oddly enough he's a dachshund, which is not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graysmith/i-had-a-dog-named-basil-and-he-s-the-hero-of-the-book-animal-firm/) [Robert Graysmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graysmith/) > [“What kind of dog is the most colorful? A: Paint Bernard!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-amon/what-kind-of-dog-is-the-most-colorful-a-paint-bernard/) [Uncle Amon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-amon/) > [He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/he-is-your-friend-your-partner-your-defender-your-dog-you-are-his/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [I know I'd rather have any amount of time with a dog I love and suffer the mourning than not have the time at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-klam/i-know-i-d-rather-have-any-amount-of-time-with-a-dog-i-love-and/) [Julie Klam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-klam/) > [My dream pet? I like a couple of them, man: monkey, I love dogs. See, tigers, I don't know - I can't be playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/french-montana/my-dream-pet-i-like-a-couple-of-them-man-monkey-i-love-dogs-see/) [French Montana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/french-montana/) > [I Instagram and tweet a lot about my dog. I think he is one of the most interesting things about my life right now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-daddario/i-instagram-and-tweet-a-lot-about-my-dog-i-think-he-is-one-of-the/) [Alexandra Daddario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-daddario/) ## More by Pam Houston > [Give me a labyrinth to walk and I can usually free my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/give-me-a-labyrinth-to-walk-and-i-can-usually-free-my-mind/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [When a book is in its final stages, I've just got to be home, looking at it seventeen hours a day, and that's fine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/when-a-book-is-in-its-final-stages-i-ve-just-got-to-be-home-looking/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I've been to a lot of school and read a lot of thick books, but at my very core there's a made-for-TV-movie mentality I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-ve-been-to-a-lot-of-school-and-read-a-lot-of-thick-books-but-at-my/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Life gives us what we need when we need it; receiving what it gives us is a whole other thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/life-gives-us-what-we-need-when-we-need-it-receiving-what-it-gives-us/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Cheryl Strayed is a courageous, gritty, and deceptively elegant writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/cheryl-strayed-is-a-courageous-gritty-and-deceptively-elegant-writer/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Sometimes no matter how well you prepare, no matter how conservative your decision making, no matter how few Y chromosomes are along on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/sometimes-no-matter-how-well-you-prepare-no-matter-how-conservative/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Stillness is a harder concept for me than ecstasy, but I can imagine it best when I am fully present and paying strict attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/stillness-is-a-harder-concept-for-me-than-ecstasy-but-i-can-imagine/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“I still don't see how it would make me feel any better to think of the pain in my hip and spine as anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-still-don-t-see-how-it-would-make-me-feel-any-better-to-think-of/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [My parents were travelers. Every time my parents got ten dollars ahead they went somewhere. That's what they did. So I got the bug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/my-parents-were-travelers-every-time-my-parents-got-ten-dollars-ahead/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“Find yourself a place in the universe,' she said, 'a place where the dirt feels like goodness under your feet. Take the right picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/find-yourself-a-place-in-the-universe-she-said-a-place-where-the-dirt/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I'm always out looking for weird, beautiful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-m-always-out-looking-for-weird-beautiful-things/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I always think, when I'm in motion, writing seems like the most natural thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-always-think-when-i-m-in-motion-writing-seems-like-the-most-natural/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I'm about going out in the world and noticing stuff, and going home and writing it down, and putting it next to other stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-m-about-going-out-in-the-world-and-noticing-stuff-and-going-home/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“And even though I knew in my head there’s nothing a man can do that a woman can’t, I also knew in my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/and-even-though-i-knew-in-my-head-there-s-nothing-a-man-can-do-that-a/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Traveling is my priority, because it drives the writing, so I teach around the travel, and sometimes the travel is the teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/traveling-is-my-priority-because-it-drives-the-writing-so-i-teach/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) [Explore all 61 Pam Houston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [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/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It would have been so perfectly ironic if I had been killed by the dog, because I was petting a dog who was not used to being pet, because I think I'm some kind of dog whisperer, and I think I can make any dog love me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pam Houston" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-if-i-had-been-killed-by-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-if-i-had-been-killed-by-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/pam-houston-11232_animal_it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-i_3028044.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/pam-houston-11232_animal_it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-i_3028044.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/pam-houston-11232_animal_it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-i_3028044.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It would have been so perfectly ironic if I had been killed by the dog, because I was petting a dog who was…” — Pam Houston", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pam Houston", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It would have been so perfectly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-if-i-had-been-killed-by-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/it-would-have-been-so-perfectly-ironic-if-i-had-been-killed-by-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```