Two nights in a row now, I have dreamed that someone has either taken or killed my dogs. The first night, it was extremely gory; dog parts were scattered everywhere. The next night, I knew the dogs were gone, and the immense grief was overwhelming. Both mornings, I woke up shaken. Please help.
— Suzanne, Chattanooga, TN

Lauri replies: Oh gosh, what sucky dreams to have! They indicate that you are experiencing some form of loss in real life. The dogs are a clue as to what that is. Usually, dogs represent a friendship or relationship, or they could represent friendship and loyalty within a relationship. Has a friendship or relationship ended or been torn apart recently? Dismemberment in a dream can also mean that there is some sort of separation that has happened or that you are considering separation in real life. Is there anything like that going on?