--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The dog barking at you from behind his…" description: "\"The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts for a motive indistinguishable from that of his master when the fence was built.\" — Robert A..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/robert-ardrey-17947_animal_the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-m_469440.jpg" --- # The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts… ![“The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts for a motive indistinguishable from that of his master when the fence was built.” quote by Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/robert-ardrey-17947_animal_the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-m_469440.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/robert-ardrey-17947_animal_the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-m_469440.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/robert-ardrey-17947_animal_the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-m_469440.jpg) > “The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts for a motive indistinguishable from that of his master when the fence was built.” [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Animals may act with motives that mirror human intentions, blurring lines between instinct and purpose. **In simple terms:** Animal behavior can reflect human-like motives. Key Takeaway Consider deeper motives behind actions. Themes behavior motivation human-animal parallels Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - pet training - wildlife observation - security concerns - owner-pet dynamics Key Concepts instinct social learning Questions to Reflect On - What does this suggest about interpreting animal actions? - How do we differentiate instinct from intention? A Different Perspective Animals may not truly understand human motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) ## Related quotes > [When a child is locked in the bathroom with water running and he says he's doing nothing but the dog is barking, call 911.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/when-a-child-is-locked-in-the-bathroom-with-water-running-and-he-says/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [The tree looks like a dog, barking at heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-tree-looks-like-a-dog-barking-at-heaven/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [A small man is like a small dog, always barking about what he can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-small-man-is-like-a-small-dog-always-barking-about-what-he-can-do/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [My dog was barking at everyone the other day. Still, what can you expect from a cross-breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-cooper/my-dog-was-barking-at-everyone-the-other-day-still-what-can-you/) [Tommy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-cooper/) > [You should be afraid of a silent dog rather than a barking one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/you-should-be-afraid-of-a-silent-dog-rather-than-a-barking-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“Oh, you have to hear this,” Nick suddenly said with a grin. “Look for the house where the dog is barking.” I reached out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-vila/oh-you-have-to-hear-this-nick-suddenly-said-with-a-grin-look-for-the/) [Tatiana Vila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-vila/) > [“While discussing the monster: "It sounds like the combination of water being poured into a glass," Miss Hawkline said, "A dog barking and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brautigan/while-discussing-the-monster-it-sounds-like-the-combination-of-water/) [Richard Brautigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brautigan/) > [Keep your eye on the main chance and don't stop to kick every barking dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-blackwell/keep-your-eye-on-the-main-chance-and-don-t-stop-to-kick-every-barking/) [Morton Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-blackwell/) > [Did you ever see a wicked man walking on the road and a dog behind a fence barking at him and he dock his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/did-you-ever-see-a-wicked-man-walking-on-the-road-and-a-dog-behind-a/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [What does it matter if a few barking dogs snap at the heels of the weary travelers? ... The caravan moves on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-r-mcconkie/what-does-it-matter-if-a-few-barking-dogs-snap-at-the-heels-of-the/) [Bruce R. McConkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-mcconkie/) > [I have pit bulls barking at me on half of the love songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-berninger/i-have-pit-bulls-barking-at-me-on-half-of-the-love-songs/) [Matt Berninger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-berninger/) > [There's no point barking when you don't have anything to say...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/there-s-no-point-barking-when-you-don-t-have-anything-to-say/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > […A barking dog never bits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sreenadh/a-barking-dog-never-bits/) [Sreenadh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sreenadh/) > [He had one uniform practice, and a very bad one it was, during the time of family worship, and just three or four seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hogg/he-had-one-uniform-practice-and-a-very-bad-one-it-was-during-the-time/) [James Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hogg/) > [If I stop to kick every barking dog I am not going to get where I'm going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-joyner-kersee/if-i-stop-to-kick-every-barking-dog-i-am-not-going-to-get-where-i-m/) [Jackie Joyner-Kersee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-joyner-kersee/) ## More by Robert Ardrey > [The city is a cultural invention enforcing on the citizen knowledge of his own nature. 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The home of our fathers was that African highland reaching north from the Cape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/not-in-innocence-and-not-in-asia-was-mankind-born-the-home-of-our/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [“I have lived my life in the shelter of too many northern alliances. I have made alliance with the gentle cow, the health department,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/i-have-lived-my-life-in-the-shelter-of-too-many-northern-alliances-i/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [The miracle of man is not how far he has sunk but how magnificently he has risen. We are known among the stars by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/the-miracle-of-man-is-not-how-far-he-has-sunk-but-how-magnificently/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [The hunter died when he achieved supremacy. Perhaps the death of the hunter will be the long monument to interglacial man. We denied a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/the-hunter-died-when-he-achieved-supremacy-perhaps-the-death-of-the/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [The miracle of man is not how far he has sunk but how magnificently he has risen. 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Our history is an afterthought, no more, tacked to an infinite calender. We are not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/man-is-a-fraction-of-the-animal-world-our-history-is-an-afterthought/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [Far from the truth lay the antique assumption that man had fathered the weapon. The weapon, instead, had fathered man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/far-from-the-truth-lay-the-antique-assumption-that-man-had-fathered/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [A bird does not fly because it has wings; it has wings because it flies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/a-bird-does-not-fly-because-it-has-wings-it-has-wings-because-it-flies/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [But we were born of risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. And so what shall we wonder at?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/but-we-were-born-of-risen-apes-not-fallen-angels-and-the-apes-were/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) [Explore all 36 Robert Ardrey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) ## 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. 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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. 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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": "The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts for a motive indistinguishable from that of his master when the fence was built.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Ardrey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-master-s-fence-acts-for-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-master-s-fence-acts-for-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/robert-ardrey-17947_animal_the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-m_469440.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/robert-ardrey-17947_animal_the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-m_469440.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/robert-ardrey-17947_animal_the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-m_469440.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts for a motive indistinguishable from that of his…” — Robert Ardrey", "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": "Robert Ardrey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The dog barking at you from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-master-s-fence-acts-for-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/the-dog-barking-at-you-from-behind-his-master-s-fence-acts-for-a/#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 } } ] } ```