What does the Torah say about dogs?

What does the Torah say about dogs?

From Torah Cafe by Zalman Gordon

February 8, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the Torah's perspective on dogs, including their historical context and the views of Judaism on having dogs as pets.

Dogs are mentioned twice in the torah, both times positively. However, they are not Kosher animals and there are also negative references to dogs in Jewish sources. Historically, Jews rarely owned dogs; however, some Jews throughout history did have dogs (mostly for protection) and today, many Jews have dogs as pets. What does the Torah and Jewish teachings say about dogs? Should Jews have dogs as pets? Do we view them positively or negatively? A fascinating discussion about Judaism's perspective on dogs!

Topics covered

  • Torah
  • dogs
  • Judaism
  • pets

Keywords

  • Kosher
  • Jewish teachings
  • positive references
  • negative references

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Torah

Places: Judaism

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