Well, halfway between a tornado and a dust devil (if you don't live in the dusty west you'll have to google that term.)

I know I've lost most of the dream; but what I remember is being with some people, one guy went out for a run, his dog was still there. The rest of us went outside to go somewhere and we saw this tornado approaching; it didn't have all the dark clouds and storm associated with a tornado, looked more like a dust devil, but you could see all this stuff blowing around in it. Someone immediately said "Go back inside!" and we all did, except the dog was lingering. I tried to entice the dog inside but it was leary of me and went the other way, so I went in without it.
Then the guy who had been out for a run got back and got his dog inside. I woke up.

It seems that something I'm afraid of approaching, probably, not as bad as a tornado but worse than a dust devil.

I do have a scary situation approaching that is unavoidable; and I have no idea what the dog represents. I do well with animals but am less fond of dogs than I am of cats.

A tornado dream, hmmn, one of my specialties, meaning, one that I've had repeatedly. Gotta love those tornado dreams. They are pretty exciting, that tornado that is always approaching but never quite gets there...meanwhile, you and others are scurrying around looking for a safe place. That's how it happens for me.

But, you got to see the tornado...or dust devil. You seemed to be able to see it realistically enough to know its size and strength. That's a clue.

I seldom see the tornado in my recurring dreams because I'm always looking for the perfect closet, or the best place to hide under tons of heavy machinery in some giant warehouse, or at a lower level in a high rise...etc. etc. But, in my dreams, there is never any glass breaking, any wind flying, any oncoming train sound...just the silly fright.

But, the idea that others are involved, that we must get everyone safe, that somehow we are all seeking shelter from the storm....my dreams, as well, often involve other people around me seeking shelter. That's another clue.

Perhaps the idea that you noticed, that it wasn't just "every man for himself" -- that kind of idea -- that the dog mattered -- that you weren't just running scared. The dream seems to be showing you what kind of person you are, when the chips hit the fan...

Well, hmmm, interesting about the chips hitting the fan. I'm surprised you picked that out.

I retired a year ago from a career in which I was responsible for a complex process that would keep my entire city from a blackout when things went wrong with the transmission system. The phrase that we used (I and the system operators) was "Not on my watch." Meaning, the 3 a.m. phone calls were never ignored.

Just the other day I was in the mall and saw a guy harassing a woman; all 93 pounds of me jumped to the rescue and verbally drove him off in seconds.

Thanks for that. It helps my self esteem. Now I'm thinking about the dream in a different way.

MA

  I've also have had a number of tornadoe dreams and over quite a span of time.

They almost always have represented a near and up and coming emotional upset or turmoil period in my life, wherein i will be tested emotionally. 

  Although there were a couple of times wherein they were more literally precognitive and corresponded with an unusual amount and severity of actual tornadoes.  However, these tend to have a different feel.

Dogs are often considered loyal animals. They often represent self aspects - usually loyal to the self they belong to (sense of belonging) but also capable of acting out (like biting the hand that feeds it - an extreme version of acting out). It's then an interesting observation if the dog is obeying and how it responds.

The coming storm could indeed represent some looming turmoil - an event in the making.