This term was coined by cynical screenwriters, basically meaning: show the nasty old crank petting a dog, and you show the audience,
aw shucks, he's all right after all. Often used to demonstrate that a
Jerkass is really a
Jerk with a Heart of Gold, or, if more limited, that the character is goal oriented rather than sadistic and/or thoroughly evil. If used as an
Establishing Character Moment then you skip right past the
Jerk Ass phase.
Of course, this doesn't mean specifically petting a cute animal, but any sign of nobility within a morally ambiguous character.
Sub Tropes include
Photo Op With The Dog,
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas,
Morality Pet (a character's entire relationship with a villain is one long
Pet the Dog moment), and
Androcles Lion (where the dog would later reward the one who petted him/her). Compare
Licked by the Dog. A few ways to pet the dog include: being an
Anonymous Benefactor,
I Was Just Passing Through, and
Even Evil Has Standards. Demonstrating
Moral Myopia can also do the trick, by proving the character is not actually
It's All About Me but does regard at least someone else as having rights. Contrast
Kick the Dog,
Must Make Amends (when a character tries to undo or atone for having
Shot The Dog),
Bait the Dog (when this is darkly
subverted).
Example subpages
