What Is The Meaning Of Dogs In Your Dream

[Yvone Samiento]

Howeverdog dreams may also involve protecting someone from an angry or even violent dog. Freud said that dreams that include an act of saving are parturition (the action of childbirth) dreams and that saving someone, especially from a dog, is equivalent to giving birth if the dreamer is a woman.

You could be facing pressures and troubles in your love life and the dream is a sign you want to escape. Being chased by a pack of dogs shows you have burdens in life and face psychological pressure, which means you need a rest.

To dream of a sweet little puppy is said to characterise your happy-go-lucky personality. It could be an indication a relationship or friendships are growing deeper with passing time. A litter of newborn puppies in your dream can be a representation of the duration it might take you to see your plan come to pass or the amount of time it will take you to develop an idea.

Happy puppies can be representative of a nurturing instinct deep within you. Seeing puppies with their mother can symbolise your own love of nurturing, and even imply a desire to have children, according to Aunty Flo.

Before we dive into dreams about dogs, let's take a moment for a refresher on general dream interpretation. While of course, there are some people who think dreams are nothing but memory consolidation and the brain flushing waste, there are others who believe dreams carry messages from the subconscious mind.

As psychologist and dream expert Rubin Naiman, Ph.D., previously told mbg, "Dream interpretation is about decoding the dream. It enlightens us and expands our awareness psychologically, [offering an] expansion of consciousness."

And that decoding, he explains, is all about feeling into the emotions the dream brought up for you. Stressful dreams, for example, are often a manifestation of stress we're experiencing in our real, waking lives. So, when you can figure out the emotion the dream evoked in you and think about what was happening in the dream as well as what's going on in your life, you can get a clearer picture of its potential message.

As aforementioned, dreaming about dogs is incredibly common. In fact, according to professional dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg, dogs are the most common animal people dream about in her experience with clients (followed by cats and snakes).

As Ellis explains, "If I dream of a dog because I love them and have always had a dog in my life, my dream dogs would likely be related to love, friendship, and loyalty. If someone is terrified of dogs, their dream dogs would have an entirely different flavor." Try to remember if the dog was friendly or mean, healthy or scruffy, etc., she suggests.

"It's very important to pay attention to not only the type of dog but the dog's behavior in the dream," Loewenberg adds. "The state of the dog in the dream and how you're feeling about the dog will often directly correlate to those same feelings within a relationship in your life right now," she explains.

German shepherds, for example, are known to be protective animals. "They may show up in your dream when you need to be guarded about a relationship or perhaps when you need to police your behavior," she explains. Or, maybe the dog is a breed you find particularly annoying, which could indicate annoyance or frustration within a relationship you're in, she adds.

An aggressive dog that's barking at you, chasing you, or attacking you, for example, could indicate that you're feeling attacked by a friend in real life. If you've always been afraid of Rottweilers and you keep dreaming about them, ask yourself what relationship in your life right now is causing you to feel threatened.

If the dog is sick or dying or wounded, she adds, it can also mean a relationship is on its way out, potentially because of disloyalty. "Then you need to ask yourself, is this relationship worth saving? Or do I need to bury it and move on from it?" she says.

Along with being loyal, dogs are also highly trainable and can represent discipline when they appear to you in dreams. As Loewenberg explains, "They can represent your discipline and training yourself in some way. In what way are you training? In what way are you trying to be more obedient and disciplined?" she explains.

And lastly, according to Ellis, if you feel the dog's message is more about you than someone else in your life, that's entirely possible too. She explains that you'll, again, want to pay attention to the qualities of the dog in the dream.

If dreams truly are messages from the subconscious, the next step after interpreting the message is to act on it. And in the case of dreaming of dogs, it may require you to look at your relationships (or yourself) a little more closely.

As Ellis tells mbg, "My suggestion, if someone frequently dreams about a dog, is to get to know the dog and discover what it might be asking of the dreamer or trying to tell them." She adds that she does resist generic interpretations of dream images; however, "you can consider what doglike qualities might be important to you."

Overall, she suggests, "See if you can figure out what's going on with the dog and how the dream is giving you a different perspective on a relationship in your life right now." Both she and Ellis are proponents of dream journaling, as well, which can help you get your thoughts down on paper and reflect on the dream going forward.

With over 48.2 million dog-owning households in the U.S., it's no surprise that our furry companions sometimes come to visit us in our dreams. As humans' greatest companions, dogs, especially childhood pets, bring a sense of comfort.

Seeing a dog in a dream often represents your unconscious mind trying to tell you something important. Sometimes the animal may need to be more forceful to get your attention, but that doesn't mean the dog wants to harm you. It wants to give you a message, albeit with an aggressive delivery.

The interpretation of dreams is an art (not a science) that seeks to make meaning from the seeming randomness of the unconscious mind. The REM stage is the most common time of dreaming. Visit this REM sleep calculator to learn more.

In his book "The Interpretation of Dreams," Sigmund Freud argued that the imagery and events in a dream symbolize the dreamer's unconscious desires. He asserted that dreams disguise latent desires that the dreamer may not want to express openly.

From a scientific perspective, there may be something to Freud and Jung's theories. Recent studies point toward dreaming as a method of processing emotions and constructing memories. According to these studies, dreams strip away heightened emotions and consolidate them into memories to protect the mind against stress.

Whatever the reason behind why we dream or what does it mean when you dream about someone, the link between experience, emotion, and memory is strong, and dream interpretation may be a way to make sense of what you see after you close your eyes.

Did you see the dog inside or outside? Was it at a distance away from you, or was it close by? Were you being chased by a dog in a dream? Was it malnourished or healthy? Was it a house pet or wild animal? Try to remember as much as you can about the dog, including the environment surrounding you and the animal.

You should also consider smaller symbols within your dreams. Note any pictures on the walls, smaller creatures and animals, language, numbers, and colors. These seemingly minor details can piece together a more coherent meaning for you.

There is no one easy answer for what dogs symbolize in your dreams. The "answer" depends on your personal beliefs, experiences, and the content of the dream. As with all dreams, your circumstances will give greater meaning.

Owning a dog isn't common in some cultures and regions. If you live somewhere where non-domesticated dogs roam free, you likely won't get the same warm feelings if you see an unknown dog in your dreams.

In the next section, we'll discuss some common beliefs about dogs from around the world. This background information will allow us to examine some common archetypes that live in the "collective unconsciousness" and form the basis of a dog's many symbolic meanings.

However, it is important to remember that these interpretations of various texts and traditional beliefs do not necessarily reflect the actual views and perceptions of the members of these religious and cultural groups today.

To others, a dog in a dream could represent Lord Yamaraj, the lord of death. According to some Hindu traditions, seeing a black dog in a dream symbolizes death and change. But, death can also signify the end of a way of life, new beginnings, and personal growth.

According to some Islamic traditions, dreaming of a dog bite or angry dogs is a warning to look out for people who may be deceitful. At the same time, a happy dog is a sign of prosperity and living well.

While Freud believed that dreams represent unfulfilled desires, he also acknowledged that some dreams are more stressful than pleasurable. In that case, anxiety dreams represent a motivational conflict.

Dog bites in dreams, especially your hands, may mean someone is fickle with your emotions and uncaring. A dog bite in a dream could also signify unkindness toward yourself. You may treat yourself too harshly.

If the dog is generally happy and wagging its tail, it's a sign of a healthy social life and group acceptance. Dreaming of a cheerful barking dog could symbolize a joyous social gathering about to take place. Your social life is about to bloom, and there's lots of fun ahead. Use these social opportunities to network and make new contacts and friends.

On the flip side, if a barking dog is angry and fierce, it can reflect your desire to control every situation in life. Maybe you make too many demands of those close to you? It can serve as a warning to look at those around you.

Most people will dream of a childhood pet who has passed on. These dreams usually occur during difficult phases in our lives, and your childhood friend is offering you some sympathy and encouragement.

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