What Does It Mean When You Dream About Dogs?

I am a dog lover, so seeing cute puppies in my dreams is one of my favorite things. If you are not a dog lover though, a dog-related dream may have a different interpretation for you. According to some dream researchers, dogs can symbolize complicated meanings like having an instinctual quality in your subconscious, wanting forward movement in your life or trusting a friend to be loyal.

To figure out what your dog dreams mean, you have to look at what happens. You need to consider the types of dogs, the ages and what they do in your dream. You also have to look at how you felt in the dream, the exact dream situation and your normal interactions with dogs in real life. To get you started on your dream interpretation, we will cover some of the most common dreams about dogs and what they normally mean.

1. Dogs

We will start with the most basic option. Seeing a dog just being a normal dog in your dream can represent loyalty, fidelity, generosity, intuition or protection. It can mean that your good intentions will help you reach your desired results. It can also represent a tendency to approach the world with only good intentions.

2. White Dogs

A white dog in your dream relates to your friendships. It indicates that your friend’s intentions are true and pure.

3. Animal Shelter

If you dream that you are at an animal shelter filled with dogs, it indicates that you feel shut out of your relationship or a certain situation. This type of dream can also mean that you feel unloved or unwanted like the animals at the shelter.

4. Dachshund

A dachshund in your dream shows your devotion and fidelity to the people around you. Your thinking is rational and you are grounded in how you approach to other people.

5. Mean Dogs

Sometimes, you may have a dream about a dog that is growling or extremely vicious. When this happens, it shows that there is some type of conflict that is going on within your heart. You may feel like someone or something is untrustworthy, or you may fear betrayal.

6. Sick or Dying Dogs

Dreaming about a dying or dead dog may mean that you have lost a good friend. You may fear that your instincts are not living up to their normal potential. Sick dogs in your dream tend to mean that you feel like a friendship is being neglected.

7. Bulldog

A bulldog tends to mean that there is a protective force at play in your normal life. This protective force may be helping you to move forward with a goal or in your life in general.

8. German Shepherd

A German shepherd tends to represent your attentiveness to a specific situation. You cannot afford to lose control or be excessively nervous right now. Instead, you need to listen to your protective instincts. If you are being attacked by a German shepherd, it may mean that you need to put your guard back up because you have let it down too much. When you dream that you are training the German shepherd, it many mean that you want reassurance. You may feel like others are easily influencing you, or you may just feel open to new ideas.

9. Biting Dogs

There is a specific dream interpretation when you dream about a dog biting you. It tends to symbolize a sense of disloyalty in your waking life. You may fear like a trusted friend is backstabbing you, or you may be afraid that there is someone you cannot trust in your inner circle. If the dog is biting someone else, it is possible that the person in the dream is the one who betrayed you. It can indicate a sense of disloyalty or a hesitancy to approach a new situation. If you have actually been bitten by a dog in real life though, the dream might just be your subconscious bringing up a scary memory again.

10. Black Dogs

Black dogs were known as a harbinger of doom in ancient folklore. If you believe in these superstitions, seeing a black dog in your dream could mean that you are worried that there is a dark side to a certain friendship. Of course, the dream has an entirely different meaning if you actually have or know a black dog in your normal life. If so, the dog may just appear because you are around that dog a lot in the real world.

11. Dog Fights

Dog fights tend to represent a sense of shame. You may be trying to reject some aspect of your life or personality. When the dogs are actively fighting, it may represent that there is a conflict between you and someone else. You have to take a step back from the situation if you want to see it clearly.

12. Feeding Dogs

When you dream that you are feeding a dog, it can mean that you are trying to foster your current friendships. It can also mean that you want to develop your skills and talents. Actual dog food may mean that you have to address your more primitive thoughts. You may be having jealousy or loyalty problems in a specific relationship.

13. Barking Dogs

Barking dogs can mean a number of things in your dreams depending on the situation. If the dog is barking because a dream person is angry, then it may mean you are trying to deal with the people who demand you to do things or control you. You may be trying to find a way to handle certain people in your life. If the dog is barking joyfully in your dream, then it means that you feel accepted socially and feel pleasure.

14. Puppies

Dreaming of puppies means that you have a nurturing quality that you want to nurture. This is only true if the dogs are actually born in the dream. If the puppies just exist in the dream, it may mean a desire for playfulness and joy in your real life.