If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of the fun out of owning one.

Rooney’s line plays on the affectionate paradox at the heart of pet ownership: much of the pleasure of living with a dog comes from the animal’s wordless companionship. A talking dog would collapse the comfortable projection owners place on their pets—unconditional loyalty, simple motives, and a kind of innocence—by introducing human-like opinions, complaints, and negotiations. The humor depends on an implicit contrast between the messy complexity of human conversation and the soothing clarity of canine behavior. Beneath the joke is a gentle observation about why people seek animals: not for dialogue, but for presence, routine, and a relationship unburdened by language.