---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know what happens when you keep a dog…"
description: "\"“You know what happens when you keep a dog locked away from every living thing, except you visit once a day and kick the shit out of him?\" Perreault la..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/peter-watts-4020_animal_you-know-what-happens-when-you-keep-a-do_1815327.jpg"
---

#  You know what happens when you keep a dog locked away from…

![“You know what happens when you keep a dog locked away from every living thing, except you visit once a day and kick the shit out of him?&quot; Perreault laughed nervously. &quot;Someone actually tried that?&quot; &quot;What happens is, the dog's a social animal, and it gets so lonely it actually looks forward to the…” quote by Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/peter-watts-4020_animal_you-know-what-happens-when-you-keep-a-do_1815327.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/peter-watts-4020_animal_you-know-what-happens-when-you-keep-a-do_1815327.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/peter-watts-4020_animal_you-know-what-happens-when-you-keep-a-do_1815327.jpg)

> ““You know what happens when you keep a dog locked away from every living thing, except you visit once a day and kick the shit out of him?" Perreault laughed nervously. "Someone actually tried that?" "What happens is, the dog's a social animal, and it gets so lonely it actually looks forward to the shit-kicking. It asks to be kicked. It begs.””

[Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-watts/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Isolation can make a creature crave even harmful attention, turning abuse into a perverse form of companionship.

**In simple terms:** Lonely beings may seek pain as connection.

Key Takeaway

Address isolation before it creates harmful dependencies.

Themes

loneliness abuse psychology

Mood

empathetic thoughtful

Type

reflective cautionary

When to use this quote

- animal shelters
- mental health care
- prison rehabilitation
- elderly care

Key Concepts

Attachment theory social needs

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives a being to desire negative attention?
- How can we provide healthy connection?

A Different Perspective

Not all isolated individuals will seek pain; responses vary.

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[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animal Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-gets-2149318/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Dog Locked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog-locked-2149319/) [Dog Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog-social-1717216/) [Gets Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gets-lonely-1226984/) [Happens Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens-dog-2149317/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

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