Is it permissible to acquire a small dog to care for it in the home garden and play with it, provided that it is not brought into the house, and to perform ghusl after touching it to ensure purity and the acceptance of prayers, despite the questioner hearing that it is forbidden?

A Muslim should make his desires subservient to what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, brought, and he should love what Allah and His Messenger love, and hate what Allah and His Messenger hate. Keeping dogs unnecessarily is forbidden in the Sharia of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The esteemed scholar Ibn Uthaymeen said: "Keeping dogs is forbidden, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Whoever keeps a dog, except a dog for hunting, or for farming, or for livestock, will have a Qirat deducted from his reward every day.'" This indicates the prohibition of keeping dogs for purposes other than those mentioned in the Hadith. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, made an exception for dogs that humans need, such as hunting dogs, livestock dogs, and farming dogs, and similar needs like a guard dog for a house in areas far from the town. As for those who keep dogs as a hobby, they lose both in their religion and their worldly life. Their religious loss is the daily deduction of a Qirat from their reward, and their worldly loss is paying exorbitant prices for the dogs and excessive care for them. A Muslim must strive against his soul and hate what the Lawgiver has forbidden, and Allah will help him in that, "And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways." (Al-Ankabut: 69).