Year of the Dog
The Dog is read as the loyal guardian of the zodiac: honest, fair and devoted to the people it loves.
| Fixed element | Earth |
|---|---|
| Yin or yang | Yang |
| Best matches | Tiger, Horse |
| Clashes with | Dragon |
| Current or next year | Metal Dog (2030) |
Dog personality
People born in a Dog year are said to be faithful, responsible and driven by a strong sense of right and wrong. They tend to stand up for the underdog and keep their promises. Their care can turn into worry, and they may be slow to trust anyone new. At their best they are the friend who never lets you down.
The Dog in love
In love, the Dog is read as devoted, sincere and protective, looking for trust above all. It may need to let go of old worries so a relationship can feel easy.
The Dog at work
At work, the Dog tends to thrive in law, social work, teaching, healthcare, security or any role that serves others. It works hard for a cause it believes in.
Room to grow
The growth edge for a Dog is ease. Worrying less about what might go wrong, and enjoying what is going well, gives its loyalty room to breathe.
Dog compatibility
In the tradition, the Dog gets on best with the Tiger and the Horse, the other two animals of its group of three, and clashes with the Dragon, the animal opposite it on the wheel. These are traditional pairings, not rules: any two people can make it work.
The Dog making decisions
A Dog decides by asking whether it's right, and after that whether it's safe. It's slower than the other animals to trust a new plan and very hard to shift from a principle. The tradition reads this as integrity. It also notes that a Dog can expect the worst and talk itself out of something good. It does well to ask a trusted friend whether the worry is real.
The Dog as a friend
As a friend, the Dog is the one you call at three in the morning. It keeps secrets, tells you the truth and stands by you when others leave. It's slow to warm up and tends to keep a small, tested circle. It worries about those it loves and may need to hear, more often than you would think, that you aren't going anywhere.
The Dog with every other animal
The Tiger and the Horse are the Dog's allies, and they share its sense of a cause. The Rabbit is its secret friend, and the two make a gentle, trusting pair. The Dragon sits across the wheel, and a Dog tends to doubt all that display. The Rooster is the pairing the tradition warns about.
| With the | Dog reads as |
|---|---|
| Rat | No special tie |
| Ox | No special tie |
| Tiger | Ally |
| Rabbit | Secret friend |
| Dragon | Clash |
| Snake | No special tie |
| Horse | Ally |
| Goat | No special tie |
| Monkey | No special tie |
| Rooster | Harm |
| Pig | No special tie |
The five kinds of Dog
Each kind of Dog returns every 60 years. Find your birth year:
- Wood Dog: 1934, 1994. A Wood Dog is read as warm and easygoing, more trusting than most and very good at bringing people together.
- Fire Dog: 1946, 2006. A Fire Dog is read as bold and principled, the kind that speaks up first and will happily lead the protest.
- Earth Dog: 1958, 2018. An Earth Dog is the animal in its home element, read as fair, sensible and the steadiest friend you could have.
- Metal Dog: 1970, 2030. A Metal Dog is read as the most strict and the most loyal of the five, with firm rules and a long memory.
- Water Dog: 1982, 2042. A Water Dog is read as gentler and more thoughtful, good at listening and less quick to assume the worst.
Are you really a Dog?
Since 1930, Dog years have started as early as January 25 and as late as February 18. Born before your Dog year's start in the table below? Then you are a Rooster, the animal before it.
This Chinese year, Dogs are turning 8, 20, 32, 44, 56, 68.
The Dog's hour and month
The Dog's hour runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and its month is the ninth month of the lunar year. Anyone born in that hour has the Dog as a second animal, read as how they behave in private.
What people get wrong about the Dog
The Dog is often read as simply nice and loyal, which leaves out the bite. The tradition reads a person with a strong sense of right and wrong, and with a sharp tongue when someone crosses the line. Many Dogs are more anxious than they appear. It watches closely for unfairness, and it's frequently the first in a group to say that something is wrong.
Questions about the Dog
Is the Dog a loyal sign in Chinese astrology?
Yes, that's its central reading. The tradition sees it as honest and protective, and quick to take the side of someone who's being treated badly.
What is the Dog like in love?
Faithful, serious and slow to commit. It tends to need reassurance, and it gives back a level of loyalty that few other animals can match.
What jobs suit a Dog?
Work with a clear purpose: law, teaching, social work, security, advocacy. It tends to lose heart where the rules seem unfair.
Years of the Dog
| Year | Element | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Wood | February 14, 1934 to February 3, 1935 |
| 1946 | Fire | February 2, 1946 to January 21, 1947 |
| 1958 | Earth | February 18, 1958 to February 7, 1959 |
| 1970 | Metal | February 6, 1970 to January 26, 1971 |
| 1982 | Water | January 25, 1982 to February 12, 1983 |
| 1994 | Wood | February 10, 1994 to January 30, 1995 |
| 2006 | Fire | January 29, 2006 to February 17, 2007 |
| 2018 | Earth | February 16, 2018 to February 4, 2019 |
| 2030 | Metal | February 3, 2030 to January 22, 2031 |
Find your animal from your date of birth