Spirit guide type of companion?

While lucid dreaming has anyone every encountered a spirit guide of sorts? In many cultures they believe a spirit guide is assigned to you to help you through life. Many american indian cultures believe this and these things appear as animals such as coyotes, eagles, snakes, ect. totem poles are based on them to some degree. They don't necessarily have to be an animal, they could be a person or angel. How many, if any of you, ahve encounteed your spirit guide on a regular basis, know who/what it is, or believe it exists at all?

Yes. I've had a fox in the past that was always there, then one dream last year happened that lasted over 7 nights for me, continuing like a day passed each time, and during those dreams it ended with the fox jumping inside my dream character and it never appeared again.
I also have another one that is seperate to the fox, like a pet monster, but I keep him dissappeared in dreams and reality.