Some believe Freud's love of dogs is connected to his growing misanthropy. His professional life was haunted by disputes and envy. In January 1920, his eldest daughter, Sophie, died at age 26 from the Spanish flu. In June 1923, his grandson, Heinz, died at the age of 4. Between 1920 and 1939, he witnessed fascism and antisemitism in Europe. In June 1933, his books were publicly burned in Germany. Ultimately, he was expelled from his homeland, and after his death, his four sisters were executed in a concentration camp. He had no small reason to love dogs more than people…
Many of the things Freud established during psychoanalysis about the effects of dogs also benefited himself and his patients. After his death, his grandson said this about him:
“Freud found comfort in the company of his daughter’s dog, Wolf. And later in life, when he was battling mouth cancer, Topsy, who fought the same disease, also helped him a lot. Through Topsy, he could see this illness, and this prompted Freud to examine his fears and his own mortality.”
In the last months, his beloved dog was by his side, lying on the other side of the bed. It provided Freud the only source of comfort. Through his dogs, Freud recognized the values inherent in them, such as purity, honesty, and integrity. “Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, unlike humans who are incapable of pure love and always confuse love and hatred in their own relationships” – he wrote.
One thing Freud admired most in dogs was their capacity for love without ambivalence. And the simplicity of life, free from unbearable civilizational conflicts, makes the beauty of existence complete in itself. He pointed out that although we belong to different species, between humans and dogs there is “a feeling, an intimate affinity, an undeniable sense of solidarity”. Like so many of us who share our lives with companion animals, Freud recognized solidarity as one of the traits that unite humans with their beloved dogs in true friendship.
Most people today see Freud as a cigar-smoking figure from the past – a brilliant mind consumed by his own theories and scientific persecution. But as we become aware of his love and deep connection with his canine companions, we begin to see this infallible figure from a quite different angle, another perspective: we see his humanity.
While the therapist’s couch definitely has a place on the path to understanding ourselves, this often begins from a perspective rooted in a dog’s bed that brings us together with our humanity. For so many things, we owe gratitude to our animal companions – who support us not only for an hour but beyond that.
Archive recordings where we can hear Sigmund Freud’s own voice in the video:
Sigmund Freud video:
Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis >>
Sigmund Freud: The Basic Ideas of the Book Dream Interpretation >>
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