So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Koliyans, where they have a town named Haliddavasana.

Then Puṇṇa the Koliyan, a cow votary, and the naked ascetic Seniya, a dog votary, went to the Buddha. Puṇṇa bowed to the Buddha and sat down to one side, while Seniya exchanged greetings and polite conversation with him before sitting down to one side curled up like a dog. Puṇṇa said to the Buddha, “Sir, this naked ascetic Seniya the dog votary does a hard thing: he eats food placed on the ground. For a long time he has undertaken that observance to behave like a dog. Where will he be reborn in his next life?” “Enough, Puṇṇa, let it be. Don’t ask me that.” For a second time … and a third time, Puṇṇa said to the Buddha, “Sir, this naked ascetic Seniya does a hard thing: he eats food placed on the ground. For a long time he has undertaken that observance to behave like a dog. Where will he be reborn in his next life?” “Clearly, Puṇṇa, I’m not getting through to you when I say: ‘Enough, Puṇṇa, let it be. Don’t ask me that.’ Nevertheless, I will answer you.

Take someone who develops the dog observance fully and uninterruptedly. They develop a dog’s ethics, a dog’s mentality, and a dog’s behavior fully and uninterruptedly. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of dogs. But if they have such a view: ‘By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice, may I become one of the gods!’ This is their wrong view. An individual with wrong view is reborn in one of two places, I say: hell or the animal realm. So if the dog observance succeeds it leads to rebirth in the company of dogs, but if it fails it leads to hell.”

When he said this, Seniya cried and burst out in tears.