I have had a recurring dream for months now, that I am out with my big beloved mastiff, then realize he is gone (lost). I search for him and call him. I wake up in a state of panic, and screaming his name (still calling him). He is six years old, healthy, and not likely to 'get lost.' What is going on?

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: here and there

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} female

Hi Jan

I guess you need to be asking yourself, what's wrong ,,,, and keep receptive for likely avenues.
Look up dogs in one of the dream dictionaries on this site.,,,

There seem to be issues around loss, or fear of loss ,,, of what ,,,, the answer may be in what dogs (or your dog in particular) represent to you ,,,

good luck
JC

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: Brisbane Australia 47

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} M

I have looked at all the dog dream dictionary entries and this is not a scenario that is covered which is why I came to this forum. Unfortunately, your post doesn't give me any thing different than what I had already come across. It looks like in this forum if your post isn't something really sexy (whether it is real or not) then not too many folks are interested in interpreting it.

Thanks for your attempt anyway.

Jan,
I have to take exception to your statement that only sexy dreams are being given consideration for interpretation. The last time I looked almost every posted dream had a response. Kathy, Justin and other Forum contributorsvery not only strive to help others understand their dreams but are conscience of having all dreams addressed.

Interpreting a dream properly takes time. And to interpret a dream properly requires the assistance of the dreamer. Perhaps if you had provided a faster response to Justin's suggestions and offered further comments, an answer would have been discovered. I monitor this site everyday and I know the effort the Forum contributors put into helping others. I am sorry that you have not found an answer for your dream, but your assertion is just not true.

Perhaps you should concentrate on the experiences in your wkaing life and determine what might fit the dream instead of focusing on discovering what your mastiff dog may symbolize. Since in your dream the animal is beloved, look to those things that you may be afraid of losing that you love dearly. It doesn't have to be a person or animal, it could be material or some aspect of your life. The masculine nature of the dream only suggests that it is probably masculione in scope not not necessarily masculine in body or frame. The masculine part is an aspect within you.

There are many possibilities to a dream's meaning. The personal aspect can only be known by the dreamer. Using Jung's philosophies dreams can be understood. Sometimes it requires a lot of time and questions answered before a dream comes into clear focus and the meaning understood. But with some patience and a desire to understand, all dreams can be interpreted.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 55 Murfreesboro, Tn.

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

Hi Jan

Thank you for posting your thoughts on my interpretation.
The reason that feedback is so important and useful is that it i) helps me to gain better insight into my interpretations and ii) may well open avenues of thought that are not possible with such limited knowledge of the person posting their dream.
Dreams are so unique, and their interpretation cannot be standardised in any way. This is why dream ditionaries are of such limited use. I am sorry that you felt my interpretation of such little use.

As the dream is recurring for you there is something going on ,,,, that you will have to figure out. Other perople interpreting dreams can only help ,,, often a person 'disengaged' from the dreamer can prompt a new line of thought for the dreamer . No one else can wok this out for you.
Until your perception of whatever you lost dog represents to you dreams of the similar theme are likely to continue.
If you don't alread, keeping a dream journal would likely be useful - so that you can look at common themes

As I have already said, (as you have excluded a physical issue with your dog), the dream is likely about something lost in you - that is significant to you - I/ we at the Forum are happy to help, if it helps.

Unfortunately my reply is not sexy, but I hope it helps or prompts something for you.

Again - thanks for the reply
Justin

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: Brisbane Australia 47

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} M

Hi Jan

It is interesting that your location is "here and there" ,,, any links to the title of your dream that you can make?

Thinking about a mastiff: I don't know the dog but it sounds a strong, powerful, immovable kind of dog. Have you lost some of these attributes?
To me this brings up thoughts of masculinity ,,, maybe I'm heading into 'sexy' territory.

How do the attributes of the mastiff (as perceived by non-dog people) compare to your experiences?

wishing you well
JC

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: Brisbane Australia 47

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} M

Jan,

I absolutely had to respond to your dream and subsequent posts. I sense a real sense of urgency, in both your dream and in your waking state. Please just right now take a very deep breath and exhale it slowly counting backwards from 10 to one before reading the rest of my reply.

Firstly, I have limited experience with dream analysis and interpretration, but two basic facts must be established. Dreams routinely show us lost parts of ourselves that we need to reintegrate, face up to, accept, embrace, keep close and acknowledge. That being said, dreams can also mirror our waking state. I sense a real sense of urgency in your dream as I said before, as well as in your response. Someone very important to you was lost and you are screaming his name...this is important. Moreover, your waking state is also reflecting a similar urgency in understanding this dream and that is very good.

To me, dogs represent our intuition, our loyalty to our self, to loved ones, to those who deserve our loyalty because they have dealt with us with honor. (Go see the movies Six Feet Deep, its about the symbolism of dogs/wolves hybrids...loyalty, it may shed more insight.) My guess is that you have either started losing a very loyal and intuitive part of yourself and its been six years.......(any clues what six years signifies for you????), or you are about to lose a very critcal part of yourself because of something that is happening either in your inner life or your waking life. I say this because of the sense of urgency I got from BOTH your dream and your posts. Its OK, just take it easy because your dreams are going to either lead to back to recovering what you lost, or stopping you from going further down the wrong path. If this rings any bells for you that's great....that's what dreams are trying to do for us...lead us back home to our SELF. A lost dog to me symbolizes losing a very important part of yourself. Dogs sniff things out, the stop, look and listen...they also do what they are told and are loyal to their friends, even under the most difficult circumstances....is there a part of you that is not being loyal to yourSELF?????? Are you ignoring your innate instincts and intuition to sniff things out around you? I think the six years reference in your dream is critical to understanding the meaning and letting it unfold. What in your life is six years old? When you were six years old did any significant life events occur? Do you have six year old children who maybe needing your help with something but unable to ask you? The number six might hold other significant meanings or associations as well..... I don't know much about types of dogs...but I just though MASSIF...as in HUGE, BIG, LARGE. I sense maybe this part of you is a big part of you. Maybe you were loyal to yourself or to something or someone and a big change in your life happened? I get the sense that you are at some sort of very important crossroads at your life and facing some sort of critical life decision....perhaps the outcome you were going to take would lead you to lose a huge part of your SELF? Sorry for sounding like a psychic fortune teller here, I'm not one, but this is really what came across to me from your posts.

The screaming is a big clue.....you were not a happy camper to lose this part of you. You wanted it back. Any decisions you made lately that are gnawing on you wishing you could reverse them? Anything you need to grieve from your past? Are you afraid to connect with your intuition or instincts because of social, familial, religious, community, partner or whatever other prohibitions to not , "LOOK, SEE, LISTEN, HEAR, FEEL, SENSE, KNOW??????" Those are key traits of dogs...go do those things...sniff around...as I said. Have you maybe stopped searching for something important? In your inner or outer life?

Furthermore, dogs usually represent the masculine, whereas cats, the feminine. How is your relationship with masculinity....significant males in your life...father, husband/lover/partner/friend/...son....boss...whoever...any losses there? Sometimes our closest friends bring a lot to our personality and when we lose a friend or a relationship we may feel we lost that part of ourselves that expanded in their presences...

Your soul is crying out to you, screaming really, to bring back this lost part of yourself. Think if this statement resonates with anything in your life.

Hope this helps. And don't give up on this forum..it is the best there is.

Best,
May
p.s. Feedback Please!!!!!!

Jan,

You say this is a recurring dream.....???

For several months.....??

Your unconscious is really, really trying to get your attention. Triple everything I said in my last post. No, just multiply it with a billion. This is an urgent dream. Please mull over the thoughts I shared with you in the last post. Think about your losses....if they have led you away from your true self....

Best,
May
and hang in there

Hi Jan,

Some more thoughts for you on this dream;
I know that your dog in real life is six years old, so I imagine that he would be six years old in the dream as well. Six=Sex years, and lost? You don't mention your age....but maybe you are going through menopause and are losing what you feel are you sexy years.....You mentioned that you don't think this dream is sexy. Well, maybe that's exactly what it is inviting you to explore....maybe the loss of your sexual feelings..sexuality.....sexual vitality....or sex in general?? Dogs are known to be sensual animals, sensing.... You wrote your age and location as here and there. Are you maybe having issues with aging and how it affects your sexuality?

Also, as I mentioned in my other posts...dogs have strong intuitive sides. Maybe this dream is asking you to nose out the facts about some important issues to you?

Dreams can mirror anxieties in our waking life. Is there something in your waking life that is causing you literally to panic? The dream maybe about that. You said you wake up paniced, literally... also, hot flashes of menopause may cause similar feelings to the sweaty feeling of a panic attack? I am guessing here because I haven't experienced either.......

It is concerning that the dream has repeatedly occurred, trying to bring your attention to an important issue. Are there other dreams you've had that maybe carry similar themes to the points I've mentioned or other points the other Dream Forum contributors mentioned regarding this dream.

I've tried to help you as best as I can. I hope you may gain some insight from my words, but more importantly....it is your associations, your other dreams, and your interpretation that count in the end.

It maybe more helpful for you, as well for as Dream Forum members....if you wrote more details about this dream or other dreams like it..as well as shared your associations .....and reactions to our dream interpretations as they may fit into your current life and the dream themes that this or other dream themes are bringing up for you. This will enable people to work with your dreams....if you are so interested and inclined, there are many people on this forum who would be willing to work with you on your dreams...myself included.

So,

good luck and share some more.... it will help you as well us Dream Forum members become more skilled at interpretation.

Best,
May

p.s. I also sense a real sense of loss, grief, sadness from your dream. Panic as a reaction to loss reflects an intense desire to hold on to what is being lost. As the dream is NOT about your dog but about you...and your life...what are you losing...have lost..that you are unable to grieve....or are you heading down a path of disloyalty in your life....that is bringing you to disaster.....or are you going through an irreversable life change....menopause...that is changing your body and view of sexuality....sexiness. We can help you better if you share more.....

Hi Jan,

I also feel the need to clarify one more thing.

Justin's response included a question to you. He asked you what dog's represent or symbolize to you.

Not what a dream dictionary says.

My advice...dream dictionaries can go so far.

The rich clues found in dreams are more likely to be what your ASSOCIATIONS are to your own dream symbol....meaning...what do dogs symbolize to you.

So, I repeat the question. Tell us what dogs symbolize to you, not what you think a dream dictionary will tell you. That can only go so far...as I said.

What do dogs symbolize to you?

I previously wrote you what they symbolize to me. But I am not you. How about sharing with us any of your associations with dogs....then we can take it from there?.......

You did say 'beloved'...so that's one clue, but its not fair to keep us guessing...if you really don't know what dogs symbolize to you, take some clues from your dream...in your dream your dog was someone healthy, six years old, beloved, who you loved alot...who was a companion.....a friend....always around...going on walks....and......LOST. Any part of your personality, conscious/unconscious that matches those traits I just mentioned.....any traits or associations with dogs......

See how it works? Dream interpretation has a lot of give and take. Do share more ...especially associations. I understand it can be frustrating to be stumped as to what a dream symbol means....and to feel neglected....but we are all here now...waiting for some feedback.... if you wish to continue the process of learning about yourSELF.

Best,
May

Hi Jan,

Another thought for you:

I know people who see their dogs as their children.

Again, because this is not your association with dogs it may not work for you....but there are people who get so attached to their pets that their pets are part of the family and just like their kids.....losing a child a one of the worse things a parent can go through...and for some, losing a dog is like losing that child...maybe your feelings about dogs can gave you insight into your feelings about the lost part of yourself.....there is actually alot to your dream....but it requires much feedback and sharing from you....

Just guesses... since I haven't heard from you your thoughts.

Best,
May

Hi Jan,

One more thought...there was another post a while back about a dog licking someone's face...I know it is almost the opposite of your dream but that it can still offer you some insights so maybe you could do a search with the word dog in the search and see if some of the positive symbolism maybe what you are missing from your dream?

Good luck,
May

Hi Jan,

This is a learning forum, and as such, feedback is an important aspect of the learning process.


I have said much about your dream.


I have not heard back from you whether my interpretations resonate and/or are accurate.


This is important.


Without the feedback of the dreamer, it is difficult for learning to take place.


Your response and feedback are appreciated.

May

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 35/abroad

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female