a question about the fool's dog, help please!!!

and don't you think must be a connection between the eagle's head in his little bag and the dog in the floor? An "air high flying" animal, and a "earth grounded" animal? Or may be also an animal of prey and a friendly animal ! hmmm...

Dogs are domesticated wolves. They are social, pack animals. They will see a human who they connect with as the pack leader and will follow them, even into danger. So, while the dog warns the Fool that he is about to fall into the abyss, he will loyally follow. He is our instinctual self. Makes noises, but we, with our anthropomorphic sense of superiority all too often override our intinctual selves, and step off the precipice.
mythos

Depends on the deck and the reading at the time but usually I think the dog's more likely to be trying to stop the Fool from wandering off the cliff than pushing him over.

he is not going to fall, he is going to fly

"our anthropomorphic sense of superiority all too often override our intinctual selves, and step off the precipice" (mythos)
may be this wich represents the eagles's head? Our Blind "Higher Self"?hmmm...
" I think the dog's more likely to be trying to stop the Fool from wandering off the cliff than pushing him over"(Emeraldgirl)
hmmm...
With your visions i started to observe something i have never noticed: Why The Fool's dress is like "wings" in the arms(the sleeves)? And what if there is a connection between this, the black eagle's head and the dog! May be the dog is not trying to stop the Fool, but may be he is also pushing him over, but FOR FLY !!!! like an airplane!!!LIKE AN EAGLE, far away from the earth ( the material ) to the Sky, the Spiritualism. I can't believe i have never realized this! Have you ever?!!!....

Just a note: I like to imagine that the Dog has been
sent out after The Fool by The Hermit... doesn't he
look like the sort of fellow who might have a puppy?
And the wise Hermit would surely care for a Fool

whAT A GReat one!!!

Fulgour:
the Hermit calling for the Fool to his peack, sending his wise dog with the message and to care and convince him? What a great image!!! It remembers me the Harry Potter movie when Dumbledore sends the owl for Harry, still unconcious of his great power and his heritance!!!The Hermit is then the Fool's teacher for the Fool turn to the Magician? By the way, Dumbledore seems very well to the Hermit! WoW!!!!....Thanks very much for the note!!!

dogs in medeaval portrature

In the middle ages, the dog was a symbol of faithfulness and he appears in many works of art. Here is a very famous example

http://www.abcgallery.com/E/eyck/eyck2.html

This painting was comissioned by Arnolfini to document his marriage. The small dog at the couple's feet is a symbol of the constancy and faithfulness of the union.

While hounds and other larger dogs are often portrayed with nobility (as symbols of the hunt), the smaller dog, such as on the Fool card, was an important household member whose job was to not only provide companionship but to rid the house/farm of vermin. The modern day terrier is a decendent of those little dogs.

So I think we've got a dog who is a faithful compainion and protector, as previous posters pointed out.

His color is also important. White signifies purity (as in the white lily). He is a pure and innocent companion for the Fool. To me he is jumping for joy at the start of the Fool's journey, reflecting his master's enthusiasm.

what a beatifull paint!!!

Wizzle:
thanks very much by the link, the paint is amazing, and the small dog really cute, hey! i think here he'd moved to "The Lovers", what a smart dog
And yes, about the white color, is not the only white thing in the card, i guess is not coincidence!

MM ~ Don't forget the little Marseilles dog, pawing away the flesh suit...BB, Stella

The dog could be clawing him back. Hoping that with pain The Fool will wke up and realise what he is doing. Or it could just want to be fed