Dogs Symbol Analysis

Dogs represent the benefits of positivity and selflessness. Carnegie points out how two aspects of dogs’ demeanors make them easily able to win people over, and how people can replicate these same behaviors. First, dogs are more interested in others (particularly humans) than they are in themselves. The fact that they wag their tails and show how much they like a person makes them, in turn, easy to love. Carnegie points out that for this reason, a dog is one of the only animals that doesn’t have to work for a living (in contrast to a cow, which gives milk, for example). Dogs are simply expected to be humans’ best friends. As such, he suggests that by adopting dogs’ attitudes—becoming genuinely interested in others rather than trying to be interesting themselves—people can win over others much more easily.

Dogs are also endearing because they smile. Most dogs are very glad to see people, instantly bringing positivity into people’s lives and making them feel like they are contributing to the dogs’ well-being. Similarly, if people smile, they imply that others are important to them and make them happy, which makes other people feel good and want to interact with them more. Thus, dogs illustrate how positivity and interest in others can help people “win friends,” per the book’s title.