Dog

Personal associations to explore

Dogs in dreams are experienced by most people as something warm and represent loyalty, friendship, and unconditional affection. A playful dog often symbolises carefree joy and healthy social bonds.

An aggressive or biting dog, however, can indicate a breach of trust in an important relationship, or a part of the self that feels neglected and is demanding attention.

In some dream traditions the dog acts as a guide to the underworld or a guardian of transitions. As a dreamer you can address the dog directly in a lucid dream and ask where it wants to lead you.

For journaling, note the scene, your emotion, and what happened just before and after it. If this image recurs in your own dreams, you may choose it as a personal dream sign and then do a reality check; recurrence is your observation, not a fixed meaning.

Questions for your journal

• What emotion was strongest around Dog?
• What in the scene felt familiar or unexpected?
• Has this image recurred in your own journal, and in what context?