My dad fighting my dog

The Dream
My dad had threw a punch at me and my dog (who is about the size of two loaves of bread stacked on top of each other) defended me. The two fought for a while, and I remember feeling worried for my dog. At one point my dad yelled at the dog saying, "One Day you will have to defend someone other than (My name here)" At this point, I was very confused. The fight went on, but I was woken up before there was conclusion because my mom and her friend were being loud.

Background Information
First of all, I would like to say my dad has never punched me, the only time he has hit me was to spank me, but he is a very terrifying man. An ex-marine who has major paranoia problems. For as long as I can remember he has been the scariest man I know. The dog, as I said before, isn't a big dog, in fact, quite the opposite. We found her by the church by dad used to pastor and I asked if we could keep her and they let me. She's not violent either. We believe that before we found her she abused because she doesn't like full grown men or loud noises. Now the weird thing is that two months ago, my family made me get rid of this dog and give her to a church member of the my dad's church. I've always loved the dog, and was saddened greatly when I had to give her away. I am in my late teens, I am a male, and my parents are still happily married.

All this is guessing, but I wonder whether you are using your dad punching you as a metaphor for your family making you give up your dog: I am sure that having to give up your dog was quite a "blow" to you and to the dog as well.

Now your dad saying to the dog that someday the dog will need to defend someone other than you: since you had to give the dog away, that is kind of true; also that saying sounds to me like your dream father was perhaps punching your dream dog to train it to guard - so not a real attack but more like military training perhaps?

Perhaps you are thinking that making you give away the dog is your parents teaching you and the dog a hard life lesson? Something that is scary and may seem cruel, but ultimately you may learn how to deal with hardship in life by having to deal with this?