Shepherd

German Shepherd Symbolism, Shepherd Meaning, Shepherd Totem, Shepherd Dream, and Messages
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-German Shepherd

Shepherd Meaning and Messages

In this case, the Shepherd symbolism is reminding you that you are never alone in this world. Furthermore, this spirit animal shows you that your family and friends are essential allies in everything you do and any goal you choose to achieve. Notably, you can also find tranquility and peace in solitude. Thus, the Shepherd meaning emphasizes that being a friend to yourself is just as important.

Similar to the Falcon, Shepherd symbolism is asking you to be alert to the small changes around you. Therefore, observation is critical in knowing exactly when to act or to make that next move toward your goals. Also, you must keep a close eye on those you care for and be of assistance if at all possible. It is also possible that the Shepherd meaning is letting you know that all they need is a friendly ear.

When you encounter a Police Dog, the Shepherd symbolism reveals to you that it is not up to you to decide what is right or wrong for others. In other words, everyone finds their balance of moral integrity, and in doing so, must walk their path. The only way you can lead them through this is by setting the example. However, make sure that you are clear with what your principals are first.

**Note: This post deals with primarily the German Shepherd. However, it does also include the Australian, Pyrenean, Belgian, and the Belgian Malinois of the herding group of dogs.

Shepherd Totem, Spirit Animal

People with the Shepherd totem are people of integrity and place a lot of honor in their role as a guardian of morality. They are very protective of those close to them. Folks with this spirit animal are also extremely loyal during hardship and challenging circumstances. Similar to the raccoon, they have a love for puzzles. They also love journeys, especially those involving spiritual quests. These people also tend to judge themselves harshly for any perceived mistake. Therefore, one of their most painful lessons is self-forgiveness in all matters.  People with the Shepherd totem will often seek out careers that are of service to humanity. They will also find themselves drawn to coaching sports activities for children. Their herding instincts will serve them well with this.

Those folks with the Police Dog totem will have the added challenge of being very concerned with ethics and integrity.  They consider themselves a guardian of morality and, as such, will find themselves being the judge and jury of everything. Folks with this power animal will also continually replay their interactions with others in their mind, and judge their actions within it.

Shepherd Dream Interpretation

When you have a Shepherd dream, it highlights your protective instincts and attentiveness to your current situation. The vision is letting you know that you can see things through with courage and intelligence. In other words, trust your instincts.

Alternatively, a Shepherd dream in which you are training this Dog suggests that you are open to new ideas and or easily influenced by others. You may merely be seeking some reassurance.

When you dream of a Police Dog, make sure that you are not judging yourself. Self-criticism will slow down any progress you have made toward your goals. If the Police Dog is chasing you, then you need to release your feelings of guilt. In other words, let go and move on.

44 thoughts on “Shepherd”

  1. I had a dream last night, two German Shepards both on each side of me walking beside me as to protecting me. We were walking in the snow, when I stopped walking they both stopped too never looking away from the landscape noses pointed out and their tale the same, I felt so safe and loved and protected and not alone! I bent down onto one knee and petted each of their chest to assure them I was very aware of their intentions! When the smaller one removed herself while the larger one stayed with me. They were both a light brown and black coloring to them. So magical I have not ever experience this before so glad I did. I had to share.

  2. Wow I dreamt that I was somewhere I shouldn’t be and was super afraid because people were after me. It was dark outside and I asked myself what am I doing out here?? Then I looked across the road where my house was and my deceased father walked out of my house and told me to look at the time he was basically telling me to go home. I ran across the road to him but he walked off and I was walking behind him.. After maybe 5 seconds he turned into a white German Shepherd… before actually morphing into the dog he said “that’s the devil” wow I just don’t know what this means..

    1. 3 years ago I movie into my fiance and his parents new house and I seen in the coner of My eye a black shepherds head come out of the wall by the steps where you go down to. I have only seen the head of a black shepherd 2 times since I lived there and I haven’t seen it since then.

  3. I had a dream last night that I had a German Shepard that was medium sized. A larger one that looked identical to mine entered the room we were in. My dog jumped up at the larger dog. And the larger dog took a bite out of my dogs back which drew large amounts of blood. It was so real. Then I woke up.
    Feel like it might’ve been saying watch your back. It was so real

  4. I dreamed I was being chased by a big German shepherd in my home. I was scared it barked at me but never bit me. I tried to leave the house but it chased me to my car blocking it not allowing me to leave then I went back in the house trying to just stay in one room so the big stayed in front of the closed room door and fell asleep

  5. I had a dream that my deceased sister came to my house to see me. She was joking about me being asleep and so tired. She had a German Shepherd with her. I got up to talk with her,she had dropped her purse and I was picking up the items to take to my boyfriend to show him that my sister was really here. He was too busy using a blower to listen. I then noticed something in my bedroom window, it was 2 bats crawling up the window. I went into the kitchen and there was another bat crawling up the kitchen window. I was trying to tell my boyfriend about the bats, he didn’t pay attention to me yet again then I woke up. This dream occurred in the middle of the afternoon,it seemed so real that after I woke up I was actually looking for the items that my sister had dropped out of her purse. Someone please help me to understand what I dreamed.

    1. I’m sorry for your loss. The German Shepherd with your deceased sister seems to be a sign that she is protected and loved. Perhaps the German Shepherd might represent the protective personality of another deceased loved one, or it simply might represent the personality of her guardian angel. It can be both too. People tend to attract specific personalities after all. My guess with the items she dropped is that whatever those items are, it symbolizes the things you have to look after on her behalf, or it may even mean literal items she asks you to look after for her. I can’t tell since you didn’t mention what dropped from her purse. The bats in the house seem to represent the fears she left on her Earthly life to go to Heaven, and for which many of these tasks she is now entrusting to you, the way a German Shepherd is deeply honorable in being a guardian for certain tasks, specific items or both.

    1. This just means you are being protected, whether in a spiritual sense or by someone you know in your life. Perhaps it’s both at once. It is a good omen showing that if you have doubts about those who protect you, it’s worth trusting them a little more than you already do.

  6. I dreamed that a pretty German Shepherd was tied up around his body and hanging in a tree but moving his head when I looked at him. I proceeded to find help but people ignored me. I work with a mentally challenged female who has Angelmens syndrome and she was also in my dream and I kept losing her, she is 27 and has a mind of a 2 year old. I’ve worked with her for 5 years.

    1. Perhaps this is an interpretation of how you see this woman you are looking after. Like a German Shepherd, she protects your heart as much as you protect her. It seems to be a shame to you that others do not recognize that. That like a German Shepherd, she defends you from the pain and hurts of the world, as much as you defend her.

    2. My girlfriend woke me up to tell me to get the solid black full grown wolf like german shepherd that had entered our house back out side. This beast came into the house went past our kid sleeping on the couch and then entered the room walked around the bed to where she was asleep and sat there watching her until she woke up. Ironically it was 3 am on the dot. She said she knew it wasnt going to hurt her. I said get out of here 1 time it calmly walked back out the room and we got up to see where it went and it was gone outside somewhere. Never bothered anythjng. Explain that

  7. I had a dream that my Meth addicted brother was a chained German Shepard in an alley driveway. He was the 3rd dog in driveways and was most vicious. My mother was there initially feeding him. Later my daughter and I tried to pet the 2nd one (thinking it was my brother, and it Chased us friendly like. The last one(my brother) viciously tried attacking us, but was chained. Immediately after, he rolled on his back in a playful manner!) What could this mean?

    1. This might represent how you see your brother as having the qualities of a German Shepherd — protective, honorable, loyal, and also, very hard on himself. The chains likely represent how he is chained by his own addictions. The 2nd dog you pet might represent the part of your brother that shows a false happy “everything is fine” image of himself, but deep down, he wants you to know, acknowledge and listen to the person he really is now. Him rolling as a dog on his back in a playful way might mean that he trusts you. A dog that exposes himself to be pet means that the dog believes you are not a danger to it, and that you are worthy of trust. Perhaps it’s a sign that the best thing to do now is not to try and fix him, but to simply listen to him without judgment instead. It is like how the dog is still smiling and needing to be pet, even if it is still chained. There is still room for some kind of joy in his life, however small, even if he is still chained by his addictions.

  8. I had a dream that the German Shepherd dog so intelligent that when the owner introduced myself, and others the dog was smart enough to want his owner to an introduce himself the dog I look at the dog I leave on a long journey and behold this dog followed me from miles and miles I was kind of scared cuz I thought it was going to hurt me but I don’t know what happened after because I woke up.

    1. It just sounds like the dog wants to follow you along your journey through life to protect you. If you know this owner as a specific person in your life, the dog might represent him/her.

  9. Stacey Williams

    Had a dream last night ..in the dream my kids and i were about to cross major intersection walking we were at the crossing lighg..i looked to my right and there was this beautiful dog a big dog standing next to me ..he had his harness on already he looked stunning regal royal kind protective ..my daughter handed me his leash and i connected it to his harness and we proceeded to cross the street i felt so proud walking with him i wanted everyone to see him lol he walked with his head up tall and proud..he made me feel safe and secure❤

    1. EspionageCookie

      This might simply represent that you are in a safe situation in life, and that it is likely to not be as fearful as you think to try to explore something new or new options to explore in your own plans. In other words, that you are safer than you think, and success is likely easier than you would imagine it to be. That does not mean it would necessarily be effortless, but it is nowhere as difficult as you might be picturing it to be.

    2. I dreamed that two german shepherds were running from something coming. There was a big truck with the doors open. As i froze the dogs jumped in the truck as i jumped in with them. I did see a german shepherd last night in real time last night and he looked straight at me. He must have trusted me right away to dream two of them the same night. What is coming and why were they running and why in the world was there a truck with open doors out of nowhere? The owner of the dog seemed to be disoriented. Not sure what is was about but they didnt attack me and seemed to trust me.

    1. EspionageCookie

      The number 4 in numerology corresponds to energies of realism, practicality, protectiveness and loyalty, similar to the German Shepherd. 4 is also the number 4 or IV Tarot Card called the Emperor, which represents being a strong yet benevolent form of authority. If you pictured yourself training them, you might be on your way in teaching yourself to be strong or teaching others around you to be as strong as you. If you’re already doing it, keep doing it or do more of it. If you aren’t, it’s a sign that it’s a good move to invest in this. Perhaps instead of helping people too much that they become dependent on you and so would force them to struggle in the long term, perhaps those you look after have come a long enough way for them to learn how to be independent and how to make their own decisions.

  10. I dreamt of my boyfriend’s German shepherd bite my right hand holding tight to my hand and refused to let go of my hand. It happened that I had visited my boyfriend’s house without calling him to tell him that I was coming. On getting to his compound, the gate was opened, so I entered and his dog on seeing me held my hand and refused to let go of my hand. I didn’t shout, I was calm waiting for my boyfriend to come and ask his dog to let go of my hand. Meanwhile another shepherd dog was standing by my left, but I don’t know this dog. Please help out here with the meaning of the dream.

    1. EspionageCookie

      His German Shepherd biting into you upon going near your boyfriend’s house might represent that your boyfriend feels protective of his own vulnerable emotions, and feels too embarrasses to show you who he is behind his walls. Another German Shepherd next to you might represent that you are feeling nearly the same way yourself. Unable to commit because you feel ashamed of who you truly are outside the false “everything is okay” mask you show to the world.

  11. I remember when I was very young I was sleeping in my parents bed I woke up randomly and saw a german shepherd sat at the side of the bed then fell back asleep I’ve never had a german shepherd in my life I keep thinking was it someone acting like my favourite dog or just a spirit of one. It’s something I’ve always had at the back of my mind

    1. Same here… one appeared next to me and barked loudly. Scared me pretty good. Seemed like a warning bark. I’m not sure what to think of it.

    2. I dreamt I was hiding crouched in a bush where there were a snipermen looking through his scope on my right and a policemen on the other side, waiting for something to occur whilst I watched this german shepherd watch me with calmness as he stayed sitting across the road.
      I did not know what I was experiencing but I felt safe therein.

  12. This makes me sad, but it only makes me hope that you keep that chin up and that frown upside down. I too can’t get along with my mother who is also religious. But all in all be happy that you don’t have the attitude they have and are more accepting of people; cause that is truly an admirable thing.

  13. I red carefully your life story. It is really heartbreaking but my opinion and advise is that you and your parents has to go on therapy as soon as possible.
    Good luck!

  14. I keep on seeing the same Germany Shepherd in real life and in my dreams, to the point of that I drew it. It is now a point to keep. When ever I feel down, I just remember that I have a guardian to keep me safe

  15. Ok so after I almost slid off of a cliff then I got to were I was heading to I was under a rock I saw little rocks falling I herd footsteps so I was being dum I therown rocks over my head then I herd it move then I see a flash of a black germen shepherd so I go see what it was nothing was there then I herd movement all the way back home

  16. First of all i work night shift so i sleep almost all day , so my dream takes place at home and about how i go see this guy that i like ant night and stay up with him until morning and the 3rd day i woke up in the evening when the sun was going down and when i woke up i saw a shadow that ran towards me , i was confused not scared so when i went outside i saw a german shepperd that supposely it was mine and it had lilish colored flowers on his head and he would walk on my side. Then my brother, the dog and i, were seating on the front porch and my bfs mom treated me like a stranger and i got up and told her off , o told her that she was the one who never contacted me when she needed help …. and she started crying .. it was awkward, the dog backed up and gave me my space. 😕

    1. One last thing I’m really into it ow and I have no freands so I’m starting to get depressed so someone tell me why I’m being hunted by a germen shepherd in my sleep and in real life and please tell me how to find a freand before it do something stoopid this feeling is killing me

  17. I just had a dream of an old whitish gray and black German Shepherd. In the dream I was returning to an old place that I used to live and had not been there in years and no one was living there currently in the dream. It was a bright and sunny day. As I get out of my car and start to look around, this old whitish gray and black German Shepherd appears in the drive way. It was old and feeble and walked kind of slow. It started to walk towards me. As it gets closer, I realize it was a dog that I used to have, but old. As I start to recognize the dog in the dream, I remember that I left him there when I moved away. Like, he was abandoned. As I approached him, it seemed like he remembered me. He was friendly. In the dream I racked my brain to remember what name I gave this dog so many years ago. I then remembered his name was Jacob. I instantly felt the tinge of sadness and guilt that I (for whatever reason) left him. It came time for me to leave and this time I couldn’t leave him. I decided to take him with me. At this point, I wake up. ( I do other things in the dream..I don’t remember. This is the only thing that stood out)

    In real life, I currently own a German Shepherd named Caleb and I also owned one when I was little. The one I had when I was little was named Jacob. He was not whitish gray and black. He was black and tan and so is my current dog. I have not thought of Jacob in a very very long time, so I was surprised that in my dream the dog’s name I was trying to remember was Jacob.

    Can anyone possibly interpret what the dream may mean?

    Thanks

  18. In real life I am scared of big dogs, but this is 3rd time that I have seen German Shepherd in my dreams and they are very friendly with me and I am not afraid of them.
    I am alone and I feel like when I feel lonely God is trying to send a message that I’m never alone in this world and he is there to protect me.

    Thank you Lord 🙂

  19. the dream i had was very strange, i still feel that there was a message though.
    it was a plane crash in a sort of like Forrest#opened field with tall pine Forrest trees.
    i was there alone and there was ONLY german Shepard Dogs everywhere, most of them was like crying , some was running around scared, there was not a human soul to be seen beside myself.
    out of the blue there was this one female German Shepard that ran and jumped up to me with its paws on my chest, crying and don’t want to let go of me but at the sometime pushing me away into another direction with it.

    that where my dream just ended… but it feel there was so much detail and meaning to my dream but i dont understand what the message it had or has.’

    the other dreams i commonly have is me having labor pains or giving birth, my last dream abouth giving birth was a week ago , i gave birth to a baby girl at home saw her face and everything to detail.

    the other common dream is snakes attacking me but im always ending up catching it by the neck and killing it or throwing it far away.

    the other common dream is, intense pain of all my teeth pushing tight against eachother with intense pain and all falls off.

    in these dreams feel the detailed pain very intense and emotional….

    can anyone help with explanation?

    1. the dream depicting that the shepperds are crying symlolizes your care for people,and your fears of your past painful relationships.the female dog is the meaning of your through difficult times, and also you are very overprotective in this time in your life since you have been betraYED , AND OVERCAME IT IN THE PAST WHICH IS YOU KILLING THE SNAKES IN YOUR DREAMS . YOUR WELCOME WANT TO REACH ME CHAT AT FACEBOOK CHARLIE VEGUILLA PROFILE PICTURE IS AN ALIEN TAKE CARE GOD BLESS

    2. Well one last thing I had a dream I saw a German Shepard next to selling post then I was at my house it was in my house then it came over and started licking me then another we’re I was trying to get a dog Rick said no mom said no but when I got back she said it was a surprise I slep with EM but then a few days later we were going somewhere and I had to leve EM behind WHY WHY ??????

  20. This is so funny I was dreaming I walked into my bathroom and looked out the window and saw a German Shepard looking at me she was cold so I took her in and gave her a warm bath the dog was so loveable didn’t want to leave my sight kept staring at me liek she wanted to tell me something all I can say I felt her love it was a very strong love so I hugged her and I woke up it was a beautiful dream I hope you can help me and tell me the meaning of this beautiful dream blessings to u Carmela

    1. I had a very similar dream only I wasn’t in the bathroom it was outside when I saw the dog and it was so happy to see me and I felt its love and I hugged him. It was so beautiful and vivid. I hope we find replys as to more in depth interpretation if these two dreams. God bless.

    2. This can be symbolic it might happin like mine did mine was it just wouldn’t stop staring at me and I keep having dreams every day I just hope that one dream I had were my door slammed then some germen shepherd grabed my neck then I got paralyzed for like en hour I was late for school well that was when I was tricked and hafley possessed so no it won’t but stoopid shadow thing keeps following me and feel stadic all over my body when I sleep my point is that lison to your gut / feelings it’ll tell you just don’t indop like me I have no freands I’m so lonely don’t make that mistake

  21. I agree with Jack above…I’ve had my first German Shepherd, Ebba Lou, for almost 3 years now and she has changed my life. She is my best friend who is by my side every day and sleeps on my bed each night. She knows what is going on with me or my kids on a level I’ve not yet experienced with any animal. I feel blessed to have her come into my life.

  22. I have (2) GSD ‘S & I believe they are the most honorable of all companions , I cannot express the depth they show when times are tough, the best friend is my older 110 lb Ajax, at 3 yrs he’s beau tiful & helps me do everything!

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