Having a Dog at Home
88. Having a Dog at Home
Having a dog in one’s home is a very serious and halachically problematic issue. First, there is the posuk in the Torah of lo sasum damim beveisecho, that one is not allowed to have something dangerous in their house. Even a dog that does not bite but only barks could be frightening to people, and that is also considered something dangerous. Chazal call a person who has a dog in their house orur, cursed. If the dog is chained, then it is not a problem, as it is not considered dangerous. Nonetheless, there is another issue of why the person wants a dog. If the purpose of the dog is not to be outside the house for security purposes, but as a home pet for entertainment and companionship, Rabbi Yaakov Emden and other poskim say that this is not derech haYahadus, the Torah way, and is considered wrong and inappropriate. Halacha also tells us we should consider the fact that if there is a dog around, it could wake up other people during night, and one has to be careful not to disturb their neighbors. There are also halachos that apply to taking care of a pet on Shabbos and dirt that comes from the dog that one has to be careful not to be in the presence of when making brochos, davening, or learning Torah. In sum, it has never been the Jewish custom to have animals as pets which do not serve a farming, health or security purpose but just for entertainment and companionship as the goyim do, and in some cases such as dogs, there are also various serious halachic considerations as mentioned.
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