I Dream of Dogs

          Whenever my memory grants me the privilege to remember a particular dream upon waking up, I grab my book about dreams soon after and try to search what my dream meant. The past moons have witnessed me dreaming of dogs. On several occasions, I even dreamt of Bambi, our ever loyal Basset Hound - now sniffing her way around in heaven for many years already. I have been wanting to get another dog after the last of our canine companions died on December of 2010 (the same month that my Dad died). Her name is Wimby, a maltese-spitz. I got her in year 2001 and named her Wimby, short for Wimbledon, since I got her around the time that the Wimbledon Tennis Championship was being held in London (June).

        One would initially think that my dog dreams are manifestations of my ardent desire to get another canine friend. But my book told me otherwise: 

Dogs are considered faithful, but also tenacious and so, depending on the context of the dream, they can either symbolize loyalty, as in the phrase ‘a man’s best friend’, or the habit of worrying at a problem rather than resolving it rationally. A dream featuring a dog could even indicate that you are relishing the prospect of a project that you can get your teeth into. (Understanding Dreams by Paul Roland, 2005)

Yes, I am a loyal friend. Yes, I tend to worry a lot. But what struck me the most was the third interpretation. Yes, I have a list of “projects” and activities in my mind that I would like to accomplish soon, one step at a time:

• play tennis again (and try the continental grip)
• revive my aquarium hobby
• go to the gym
• read new novels by Sydney Sheldon (saw two new titles at NBS)
• go out and socialize
• do some serious planting and landscaping in our garden
• get another dog (a beagle?)
• visit new establishments 

       
        I have other prospects but unfortunately, they are confidential as of the moment. Looking at the list, I just realized that my dog dreams are indeed also a sign of my plan of getting a new dog. With the daily stressors that I encounter, from traffic, to work, and to people, I want something that will help me rid myself of stress, something that will inspire me to go home early right after work, and something that will give me unconditional love and loyalty – a dog. Having a new dog will also be a sweet opportunity for me to become a more responsible pet owner this time.

Understanding Dreams by Paul Roland (2005)

       There are dreams that we recall vividly, while there are those that we do not remember at all. My own hypothesis is that the dreams that we do remember, contain hidden messages that are up to us on how to analyze, interpret, and decode. This must be the reason why we remember them. Our dreams are windows from which we see our inner selves.

 Happy dreaming everyone!