Dogs
Dogs in dreams often reflect the quality of loyalty around you—whether you feel protected and accompanied, or watched and judged. The animal's behavior matters more than its presence: a snarling dog may speak to mistrust you're carrying, while one at ease suggests companionship you haven't yet recognized.
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See what’s rising tonight →What the old dream-books say
These are the entries the historical dream-books record for dogs, in their own words. They are period voices, not predictions, and they do not always agree with one another.
Gustavus Hindman Miller, 1901
To dream of a vicious dog, denotes enemies and unalterable misfortune. To dream that a dog fondles you, indicates great gain and constant friends.
To dream of owning a dog with fine qualities, denotes that you will be possessed of solid wealth.
To dream that a blood-hound is tracking you, you are likely to fall into some temptation, in which there is much danger of your downfall.
To dream of small dogs, indicates that your thoughts and chief pleasures are of a frivolous order.
To dream of dogs biting you, foretells for you a quarrelsome companion either in marriage or business.
Lean, filthy dogs, indicate failure in business, also sickness among children.
To dream of a dog-show, is indicative of many and varied favors from fortune.
To hear the barking of dogs, foretells news of a depressing nature. Difficulties are more than likely to follow. To see dogs on the chase of foxes, and other large game, denotes an unusual briskness in all affairs.
To see fancy pet dogs, signifies a love of show, and that the owner is selfish and narrow. For a young woman, this dream foretells a fop for a sweetheart.
To feel much fright upon seeing a large mastiff, denotes that you will experience inconvenience because of efforts to rise above mediocrity. If a woman dreams this, she will marry a wise and humane man.
To hear the growling and snarling of dogs, indicates that you are at the mercy of designing people, and you will be afflicted with unpleasant home surroundings.
To hear the lonely baying of a dog, foretells a death or a long separation from friends.
To hear dogs growling and fighting, portends that you will be overcome by your enemies, and your life will be filled with depression.
To see dogs and cats seemingly on friendly terms, and suddenly turning on each other, showing their teeth and a general fight ensuing, you will meet with disaster in love and worldly pursuits, unless you succeed in quelling the row.
If you dream of a friendly white dog approaching you, it portends for you a victorious engagement whether in business or love. For a woman, this is an omen of an early marriage.
To dream of a many-headed dog, you are trying to maintain too many branches of business at one time. Success always comes with concentration of energies. A man who wishes to succeed in anything should be warned by this dream.
To dream of a mad dog, your most strenuous efforts will not bring desired results, and fatal disease may be clutching at your vitals. If a mad dog succeeds in biting you, it is a sign that you or some loved one is on the verge of insanity, and a deplorable tragedy may occur.
To dream of traveling alone, with a dog following you, foretells stanch friends and successful undertakings.
To dream of dogs swimming, indicates for you an easy stretch to happiness and fortune.
To dream that a dog kills a cat in your presence, is significant of profitable dealings and some unexpected pleasure.
For a dog to kill a snake in your presence, is an omen of good luck
Fontaine, 1862
To dream of those animals, has very different significations; if they fawn and fondle upon you, it is a lucky omen; if you are in love, it portends marriage and happiness; but if they bark and snarl at you, it denotes that enemies are endeavoring to destroy your reputation and happiness; if in love, crosses.