Animals represent one’s instinctual side. Animals may also represent a need to get closer to nature. They can be totem animals, meaning that they can bring messages from the spirit world. They can also represent an essence, or quality, that is missing in one’s life. If the animal is attacking in a dream, the dreamer might think about how in his life he might be metaphorically backing that part of himself into a corner or what he might be doing in waking life to make that part of him want to attack. If, in one’s dream, there is a pleasant experience with an animal, then the dreamer might think about how that particular part of his life has come into harmony lately. For example, squirrels represent playfulness. If the dreamer has a dream where he are being attacked by a squirrel, he may be denying playfulness in his life. On the other hand, if the squirrel visits the dreamer in a dream in a pleasing way, then he may have opened himself up to more playfulness in his life and his unconscious is celebrating this new expression of fun.
      There are many resources available to research a specific animal; my favorite site is http://sayahda.com/cycle.htm. This can be a great way to figure out what the “essence” of the animal in your dream represents. But, one can also just examine his personal relationship with that particular animal. The dreamer can also ask himself what comes to mind when he thinks of the experience in the dream (i.e. fear, joy, exhilaration, etc).

SPECIFIC ANIMALS (This section is in development; if you have a specific animal request, send it here)