Dog compatibility
All twelve pairings for the Dog, grouped by distance on the twelve-year cycle — which is where the trines and the clash actually come from.
Same trine — 4 apart
4 positions apart
Dog & Tiger Four apart, which puts you in the same affinity triangle. This is the strongest pairing in the Chinese system: shared instincts and compatible pace.4 positions apart
Dog & Horse Four apart, which puts you in the same affinity triangle. This is the strongest pairing in the Chinese system: shared instincts and compatible pace.Other positions
2 positions apart
Dog & Rat Two apart. Comfortable and cooperative without being identical.3 positions apart
Dog & Ox Three apart, in the tense square relation. Productive but rarely restful.5 positions apart
Dog & Rabbit No traditional aspect between these signs — neither reinforced nor opposed. What happens depends on the people rather than the pattern.5 positions apart
Dog & Snake No traditional aspect between these signs — neither reinforced nor opposed. What happens depends on the people rather than the pattern.3 positions apart
Dog & Goat Three apart, in the tense square relation. Productive but rarely restful.2 positions apart
Dog & Monkey Two apart. Comfortable and cooperative without being identical.1 position apart
Dog & Rooster No traditional aspect between these signs — neither reinforced nor opposed. What happens depends on the people rather than the pattern.0 positions apart
Dog & Dog The same animal twice. Immediate understanding and identical blind spots — nobody supplies what the other is missing.1 position apart
Dog & Pig No traditional aspect between these signs — neither reinforced nor opposed. What happens depends on the people rather than the pattern.Where the trines come from
The twelve animals divide into four groups of three, each four positions apart on the cycle. That is the trine, and animals within one are said to share temperament — not because of anything about the animals, but because twelve divides by four.
The clash is the animal six positions away, directly opposite. Same arithmetic, opposite reading. Both rules are properties of the number twelve rather than observations about people, which is worth knowing before treating a clash as a verdict.