In Islam Can You Own A Dog?

Owning a dog as a pet is forbidden in Islam, by all interpretations.

However, having a dog as a working animal is entirely okay, provided that the Muslim takes time to cleanse himself after contact, and especially before prayer.  Working animals would include guard dogs, guide dogs, hunting hounds and shepherding animals.  Muslims in Britiain have recently been urged to practice tolerance when encountering working dogs in society.  It is equally haram to harm a dog except for reasons of self-defence or to protect another person.

Appropriate cleansing steps are to wash one's body or exposed parts of the body seven times, one of which must be with earth and water.  This is fairly demanding, and more than is required than if one comes into contact with pigs, in fact.