In love
In love the Dog is faithful, devoted and protective, and needs honesty above everything. It suits partners who are consistent; mixed signals and secrets make it anxious.
Animal 11 of 12 · Earth · Yang
Chinese zodiac Dog
The Dog is the eleventh animal of the Chinese zodiac — earth, yang. Its traditional traits are loyalty, fairness and a strong sense of what is owed.
- Element
- Earth
- Polarity
- Yang
- Hours
- 7–9 PM
- Lucky numbers
- 3, 4, 9
Character
Dog personality
The Dog is the animal of loyalty. Tradition reads it as honest, just, protective and responsible — the friend who keeps promises and defends people who cannot defend themselves. Dogs have a strong moral compass and a deep need to trust the people around them.
That sense of fairness can make them anxious, stubborn or cynical when the world falls short. Dogs worry, expect the worst and can be slow to forgive a betrayal. Once their trust is earned, though, it is extraordinarily durable.
- Strength. Reliable to a fault and genuinely fair. The one who notices an injustice first.
- Friction. Worries constantly, and judges harshly once trust is broken.
Traits
Loyal Honest Anxious Principled StubbornSeasonAutumn
MonthOctober
Lucky colorsred, green, purple
Each animal also governs two hours of the day — the Dog holds 7–9 PM. Someone born in those hours is said to carry the Dog as an inner sign regardless of their year.
Work and money
Dogs are drawn to law, social work, medicine, teaching, security and any role with a clear purpose. With money they are steady and cautious, saving for the people they look after.
Health and pace
Tradition notes a tendency to anxiety and tension. Dogs are advised to share worries rather than carry them alone.
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Every retrograde, eclipse, new and full moon of 2027 to the minute, already converted to your city. A month to a page, ready to print.
Primary source
The dog in a Chinese text of about AD 80
“Hsü corresponds to earth, its animal is the dog.”
Wang Chong, Lun-hêng, “The Nature of Things”, translated by Alfred Forke, Lun-hêng, Part I: Philosophical Essays of Wang Chʻung (1907), pp. 105–106 — read the original text.
Wang Chong already pairs the earthly branches with the animals still used today — and lists them to argue against the idea that animals fight because of their elements. The sheep of his text is the goat of the modern zodiac, the boar its pig.
Dog years
| Year | Element | New year began |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Fire Dog | February 2 |
| 1958 | Earth Dog | February 18 |
| 1970 | Metal Dog | February 6 |
| 1982 | Water Dog | January 25 |
| 1994 | Wood Dog | February 10 |
| 2006 | Fire Dog | January 29 |
| 2018 | Earth Dog | February 16 |
| 2030 | Metal Dog | February 3 |
Born in January or early February of one of these years? Check the new year date — you may belong to the previous animal.
The 9 Dog years in the table began as early as January 25 1982 and as late as February 18 1958 — a window of 24 days. Anyone born in 1958 before February 18 is still a Rooster.
The five Dogs
The Dog's own fixed element is Earth. The element of the year interacts with it differently each time, which is what separates the five versions — and why the cycle runs sixty years.
| Version | Years | Relation to Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Dog | 1934, 1994 | Controls it — most restrained |
| Fire Dog | 1946, 2006 | Feeds it — best supported |
| Earth Dog | 1958, 2018 | Doubled — strongest expression |
| Metal Dog | 1970, 2030 | Drains it — productive but costly |
| Water Dog | 1982, 2042 | Dominated by it — most forceful |
Calculated from the lunar calendar
Not every Dog year is the same length
The 9 Dog years from 1934 to 2030 last anywhere from 354 to 385 days, so the window for being born under the sign is wider in some years than in others. Two of them have a thirteenth, leap month.
| Year | From | To | Days | Lunar months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Feb 14, 1934 | Feb 3, 1935 | 355 | 12 |
| 1946 | Feb 2, 1946 | Jan 21, 1947 | 354 | 12 |
| 1958 | Feb 18, 1958 | Feb 7, 1959 | 355 | 12 |
| 1970 | Feb 6, 1970 | Jan 26, 1971 | 355 | 12 |
| 1982 | Jan 25, 1982 | Feb 12, 1983 | 384 | 13 — leap year |
| 1994 | Feb 10, 1994 | Jan 30, 1995 | 355 | 12 |
| 2006 | Jan 29, 2006 | Feb 17, 2007 | 385 | 13 — leap year |
| 2018 | Feb 16, 2018 | Feb 4, 2019 | 354 | 12 |
| 2030 | Feb 3, 2030 | Jan 22, 2031 | 354 | 12 |
Average length
361.2 days
Longest
2006 — 385 days
Shortest
1946 — 354 days
Difference
31 days
Why some years get a leap month: the calendar adds one seven times every nineteen years to stay in step with the seasons. How the lunar year is built →
The next Dog year is 2030
By tradition a Dog treads carefully in its own year rather than celebrating it. Why your own animal's year is considered unlucky.
Dog compatibility
| With | Relation | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Tiger | Trine — natural allies | 90% |
| Horse | Trine — natural allies | 90% |
| Rabbit | Six harmonies — secret friends | 88% |
| Dog | Same sign | 72% |
| Rat | Neutral | 68% |
| Snake | Neutral | 68% |
| Monkey | Neutral | 68% |
| Pig | Neutral | 68% |
| Ox | Punishment | 58% |
| Goat | Punishment | 58% |
| Rooster | Six harms | 55% |
| Dragon | Clash | 45% |
Sources
Statements of fact on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. How we choose and check sources: editorial policy.
Cite this page
AstroHot. “Chinese Zodiac Dog: Years, Traits and Compatibility.” Accessed October 28, 2026. https://astrohot.com/chinese-horoscope/sign/dog/
For Wikipedia
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