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So I was wondering what Judaism has had to say about pets in the past. Is it ideal to have them? Is there any spiritual negativity in keeping dogs or such? Dogs are generally not representing good things in the Tanach.

ezra
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  • Google is very good for questions like this, see e.g., http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/english/halacha/jachter_1.htm and http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48907642.html – mbloch Feb 10 '16 at 05:48
  • possible partial dupes http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/30111/759 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/3044/759 – Double AA Feb 10 '16 at 05:50
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    This is a duplicate of http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/30111 IMO. – msh210 Feb 10 '16 at 14:14
  • The Talmud discusses the requirements surrounding guarding animals/pets/etc. and liability for damages, so it's at the very least permitted. There is also praise given to dogs in the midrash for their role in exodus... – Isaac Kotlicky Feb 10 '16 at 14:44
  • Out of curiosity, which negative references to dogs are you thinking of? – mevaqesh Feb 10 '16 at 14:56
  • I believe that somewhere (perhaps more than one place) the Talmud berates chickens, esp. roosters. (They really are wild birds! Makes me wonder why we eat them!) The term "pet" is not mentioned in the Torah, but obviously, the Torah seems to have high regard for camels, oxen and cattle to specifically enumerate that they have to rest on Shabbat. So, I can't see a problem with having a camel as a pet, other than space and a large food bill. – DanF Feb 10 '16 at 16:41
  • see R Asher Weiss views https://en.tvunah.org/2018/08/10/pet-dogs/ and https://en.tvunah.org/2018/08/31/dogs-follow-question/ – mbloch Oct 16 '18 at 07:23
  • @DanF What about the bracha of "shenosein lasechvi vinah"? ;) Anyway, people in the times of the Tanach and Chazal didn't keep oxen and camels as pets. They kept them for field work and transportation. My question isn't about keeping sled dogs, or having a guard dog, but keeping an animal as a pet where there really isn't any need for them. – ezra Oct 16 '18 at 14:30
  • I see that I have answered the question. But regarding "any need for them" - when it comes to pet and their owners, esp. dogs and cats, we need to consider the "flip side" of the story. Many owners do "need" their pets - emotional comfort is important. Moreso, many pets need us as there are numerous pets that are abused and abandoned and pet shelters are overwhelmed. This is a halacha of tza'ar ba'alei chayim. So, it seems to be a huge mitzvah to adopt an animal if you can properly care for it. – DanF Oct 16 '18 at 15:11
  • https://seforimblog.com/2020/06/pets-on-shabbat-rabbi-morenu-and-epidemics/ – Double AA Jun 23 '20 at 10:11

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The gemara in Chullin 112a notes that Shmuel would throw a loaf of bread which roasted meat(not salted) was cut on, to his dog. It seems from this gemara that Shmuel owned a dog. Although some say the word לכלביה (to his dog) was really לכלבא(to a dog). However, Rashi seems to have לכלביה .

sam
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This addresses various halachic issues regarding pets and discusses what the Talmud and other sources have said about owning pets, then, as well as more current halachic opinions.

It concludes that the general current consensus is that it is OK to own a cat or dog as long as it is not "evil". The main area of debate is what "evil" means, esp. regarding dogs. Does it include all barking dogs (I assume it means frequent barking. I haven't met a dog that never barked at least a few times during the day except for "Larry" who had laryngitis.) or only dogs that both bark and bite?

DanF
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    "evil"? I would think "bad" is a better word, as in the phrase, "bad dog". Good and evil are human concepts. – LN6595 Feb 10 '16 at 18:44
  • @LN6595 in "literature" as well as common Hebrew translation, the word "ra" is often translated as "evil". I agree that it's not always a great translation. However, I can't say if dogs bark or bite other dogs if the other dogs consider it bad or evil. But, as you imply, if "evil" is a human concept, then, a dog who barks or bites humans, I think, would be considered "evil". It's our perspective, here, that counts, not the dog's. – DanF Feb 10 '16 at 20:07