Dog in tarot
The dog is the faithful companion of European art, the emblem of loyalty at the feet of medieval tomb effigies, and also the guard at the threshold. The Fool's small white dog leaps at his heels near the cliff edge, either warning him or urging him on, and the readings differ. On the Moon a dog and a wolf howl together, the tame and the wild side by side. Dogs gather around the old man in the Ten of Pentacles. In readings a dog is instinct that has been domesticated: loyalty, protection and the friendly part of our animal nature.
Cards that show dog
-
The Fool
The Fool: The white dog
A small white dog leaps up beside him, head turned towards his face. It has been read as instinct, as loyalty and as a warning bark. On this card it looks as eager as its master: a companion rather than a guard.
-
The Moon
The Moon: The dog and the wolf
On the left a tan dog, on the right a pale wolf, both lifting their heads towards the moon. They are tame and wild versions of the same animal. Waite read them as 'the fears of the natural mind', and they guard the path the traveller has to take.
-
Ten of Pentacles
Ten of Pentacles: The two white dogs
Two pale dogs come to the old man, one nosing his hand. Dogs traditionally stand for loyalty and faithfulness; here they also link the generations, since the child's hand reaches for one of them.