The dog is the companion animal of the human psyche — loyal, protective, and deeply tied to our sense of belonging. In dreams a dog usually reflects your closest relationships and the loyal, instinctive part of yourself. Its condition and behaviour mirror the health of your bonds and your own capacity for devotion.
A loyal ally, a trustworthy relationship, or the faithful part of your own nature. Comfort and security in your close connections.
A conflict with someone you were close to, or a warning instinct within you snarling at a situation your conscious mind has dismissed.
A neglected relationship, or a part of yourself — your loyalty, your playfulness — that has been wounded or abandoned.
Your own instincts standing guard. You are more protected, and more capable of protecting what you love, than you feel.
Warmth toward the dog reflects trust in your bonds. Fear suggests a betrayal or an aggressive instinct you find hard to face. Guilt around a neglected dog often points to a relationship you know you have let slide.
Dogs represent the domesticated instinct — loyalty, protectiveness and social feeling that has been tamed into companionship. They can also stand as a guide between the conscious world and the underworld of the unconscious, an ancient role from myth. The dog is a friend to the deeper self.
Consider the state of your loyalties — to others and to yourself. The dream may be honouring a faithful bond, or asking you to tend one you have neglected. It also asks whether you are heeding your own instincts, which, like a good dog, bark for a reason.
This is the meaning of the symbol. A reading reveals your dream — its people, its feelings, its message for you alone.
Decode My Dream — $7