Three things that have consistently existed in-dream for several months.
After my senior dog passed away late last year, my dreams changed significantly. That is, until I adopted my puppy this past spring. Now my dreams seem busy.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Dreams of My Dogs in the Past
Last spring, I wrote about When I Dream of My Dogs. At the time, I had my senior dog, Shadow, and small dog, Rascal. Both boys were regularly a part of my dreams since they were an essential part of my life.
Sometimes my dogs played a major role in my dreams, meaning they were the main focus of a dream's story. Other times, they were background characters. Either way, they were frequently in my dreams.
There were three things that existed in my dreams for years that did not exist in reality:
We were always on vacation.
My dogs were always off-leash.
There were three dogs.
When Shadow passed away late last year, my dreams (and sleep) were disrupted for months. The few dreams I recalled were usually bad, but there were a few happy dreams with just Rascal.
A month after I adopted my puppy, Lucy, I started having happier dreams again at night. It did not take long for Rascal and Lucy to become a regular part of my dreams since they are an essential part of my life.
There are three things that reoccur in my dreams this year. While aspects of the way I used to dream exist now, there are some differences.
My Dogs are Always Off-Leash
In reality, Rascal did not used to be obedient off-leash. When Shadow passed away last year, Rascal became more obedient and now spends much of his time outside of the house off-leash.
Lucy, on the other hand, is stubborn. We train often and attend classes, but we still have lots to learn. Lucy ignores verbal commands and hand signals when she is distracted by movement.
Yet, in my dreams, my dogs are always off-leash. As was the case for years prior, no dogs are leashed in my dreams. They all walk freely.
Dogs often do whatever or go wherever they want in my dreams. My dogs are obedient and safe in my dreams. It is like how pets roam freely in The Sims 4, if you are familiar with that game.
Rascal stays by my side in the dreams. I always know where he is and never worry. Lucy would sometimes wander off in my dreams, but she always returns to me.
We are on Vacation or Moving
We have not gone on vacation in a couple of years. I also have no plans to move out of my house. However, my dogs and I are either on vacation or in the process of moving.
In all vacation dreams, I am attending and presenting at a conference event. Sometimes my dogs are with me at the conference.
For example, a few nights ago I dreamt that while I presented in front of a large group of conference goers, my dogs worked the room. They would greet people as they entered, hand out booklets, carry a microphone to people who had questions or comments for me, and award giveaway prizes.
In reality, I have presented to small and large groups of conference goers. I often ended a presentation with a trivia contest or gameshow where participants walked away with a small prize.
It is usually just me and my dogs in most vacation dreams. There were a few dreams where we were accompanied by at least one other human being. Other human beings may include one or both of my parents, my significant other, or my brother and his extended family.
In my moving dreams, we are either on the drive to our new home or have just arrived and ready to unload a moving truck or unpack boxes. My Dad and significant other are often present in these dreams.
Last night, I dreamt that while my Dad and significant other were unloading the moving truck, my dogs and I were unpacking some boxes. My dogs brought me items from an opened box while I put the items away in a cabinet.
Now that I think about it, my dogs always have a helpful job in my dreams. This may be because I want to give my puppy tasks and chores to do in reality. I believe she would love to help me out in any way she could.
By the way, my significant other is non-existent in real life. I still find it strange that I dream of the same person in my dreams, but I never remember his face, voice, or name when I wake up.
There are More Dogs
When it was Shadow and Rascal, I dreamt of owning three dogs for many years. I never knew why I always dreamt of having an additional dog.
Now, I dream of owning four dogs. FOUR DOGS!!! I can barely manage a grumpy small senior dog and a large bonkers puppy in reality! However, I always dream of four dogs.
The other two dogs are not the same in every dream. It varies in every dream. What remains the same is the love I feel for all my dogs. They are an important extension of my immediate family.
Unlike past dreams when Shadow was alive, my dreams this year do not always start with me owning four dogs. Sometimes, I end up adopting dogs before I wake up to reality.
When I mentioned earlier that Lucy would sometimes wander off in my dreams, she sometimes returned with a couple of dogs or puppies in need of a home.
In a dream from a few months ago, I dreamt that I rushed from a conference site to the hotel before a major storm. I let Rascal and Lucy out to potty when Lucy ran off. I yelled for her to come back soon before the weather got worse.
Lucy returned with a dozen or more stray dogs and puppies in need of shelter. I worried about what the hotel staff would say about all the dogs in one hotel suite, but I refused to let them remain outdoors during a severe storm.
All dogs and I were safe in the hotel suite during the storm. When the storm ended, I let the dogs out to potty. All but two strays left.
One young dog and a puppy refused to join the other strays. Rascal was stayed close to the large lazy puppy. Lucy played joyfully with the small puppy. These dogs were also close to me and my dogs when we were sheltered in the hotel suite during the storm.
I decided to adopt them since we all got along. I was excited for the drive back home with two extra friends!
My Thoughts
I do not research what different aspects of my dreams may mean. Considering that most dreams featuring my dogs are pleasant and nothing bad happens to them, I would imagine the dream interpretations are mostly positive.
I believe these dreams reflect my wishes and daydreams in real life.
I would love to go on vacation again with my dogs. I also would not mind presenting at conference events again since I enjoyed doing so when I worked in higher education. Even as an introvert, it feels good to socialize with people who share some of my interests.
I would love to move to a larger house. I currently own a small house. There is not a lot of room for my dogs to run around. When my Dad moved in a few years ago, his belongings added to my already large collection of junk. Moving would force me to organize and hopefully purge junk we do not need.
I would love for Rascal and Lucy to get along better, but their relationship is a little strained for the moment. They are a lot like the odd couple of dogs. They get along but are still learning to live with one another.
Sometimes I feel like a horrible dog owner because they do not always get along. I only want them to get along. They do not deserve to be alone, but Rascal does not deserve to be irritated by his big-little sister. Lucy also does not deserve to be shunned when she wants to play or relax with her small-big brother.
I know it will take time for their relationship to build. I see evidence of improvement each week. For now, I believe my mind pairs with both dogs that match their energy level and traits in my dreams. I always end up dreaming of owning two lazy dogs (Rascal +1) and two hyper dogs (Lucy +1).
What's Next?
I may start documenting my dreams in my journal. While I usually remember the dreams when I wake up, I often forget them when I get the day started. It would be nice to at least document the best dreams to revisit in the future.
Do you dream of your dog(s)? Comment below to share things that commonly happen when your dreams feature your dog(s).
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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