Year of the Dog
狗 Gǒu
The Dog is the eleventh animal of the Chinese zodiac and the sign of loyalty. In Chinese tradition, people born in a Dog year are seen as honest, faithful and protective, quick to stand up for a friend and slow to trust a stranger.
- loyal
- honest
- protective
- fair-minded
- cautious
- anxious
Are You a Dog?
Enter your birth date to check, down to the exact Lunar New Year.
Month and day are optional. Add them if you were born in January or February. See January and February Chinese zodiac.
Dog at a Glance
- Order
- 11th of 12
- Chinese
- 狗 gǒu, branch 戌 xū
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Own element
- Earth
- Best matches
- Tiger, Horse, Rabbit
- Clashes with
- Dragon
- Recent years
- 1994, 2006, 2018
- Next Dog year
- 2030, from Feb 3, 2030
Dog Zodiac Years
A Dog year comes every 12 years and begins on Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20. Born in January or early February? Compare your birthday with the start date. If it came first, you belong to the sign before: the Rooster.
- 1910Metal DogFeb 10, 1910 to Jan 29, 1911
- 1922Water DogJan 28, 1922 to Feb 15, 1923
- 1934Wood DogFeb 14, 1934 to Feb 3, 1935
- 1946 Chinese zodiacFire DogFeb 2, 1946 to Jan 21, 1947
- 1958 Chinese zodiacEarth DogFeb 18, 1958 to Feb 7, 1959
- 1970 Chinese zodiacMetal DogFeb 6, 1970 to Jan 26, 1971
- 1982 Chinese zodiacWater DogJan 25, 1982 to Feb 12, 1983
- 1994 Chinese zodiacWood DogFeb 10, 1994 to Jan 30, 1995
- 2006 Chinese zodiacFire DogJan 29, 2006 to Feb 17, 2007
- 2018 Chinese zodiacEarth DogFeb 16, 2018 to Feb 4, 2019
- 2030Metal DogFeb 3, 2030 to Jan 22, 2031Next
Dog Zodiac Personality and Traits
In Chinese tradition the Dog is loyal, honest and protective. Dogs have a strong sense of right and wrong, and they stand by the people they love. The same watchfulness can make them anxious and quick to suspect the worst.
Strengths
- Loyalty. Stays faithful to friends, family and causes.
- Honesty. Tells the truth and expects it in return.
- Fairness. Strong sense of justice.
- Protection. First to defend someone in trouble.
- Reliability. Does what it says it will.
Weaknesses
- Anxiety. Worries about what could go wrong.
- Suspicion. Slow to trust new people.
- Stubbornness. Holds to its principles even when it could bend.
- Pessimism. Can focus on what is missing.
- Criticism. Sharp when it sees injustice.
The Dog Man and the Dog Woman
These are sketches from tradition, not rules.
The Dog Man
The Dog man is pictured as faithful, plain-spoken and dependable. He keeps his promises and defends his friends, but he can be moody and slow to open up. His lesson is to give people the benefit of the doubt.
The Dog Woman
The Dog woman is described as warm, loyal and fair. She cares for the people close to her and speaks up when something is unjust. She does best with a partner who is honest and consistent.
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water Dogs
The last digit of your birth year sets your element, which is different from the Dog’s own element (always Earth). Born in January or early February? If your birthday came before Lunar New Year, use the year before. The cycle repeats every 60 years.
Wood Dog
Years ending in 4 or 51934, 1994
Wood makes the Dog warmer and more open. Said to be sociable and generous, and more willing to give new people a chance.
Fire Dog
Years ending in 6 or 71946, 2006
Fire adds courage and spark. The Fire Dog is described as the most outspoken of the five, quick to defend what it believes.
Earth Dog
Years ending in 8 or 91958, 2018
Earth is the Dog’s own element. The Earth Dog is pictured as the most dependable of the five: patient, practical and steady in a crisis.
Metal Dog
Years ending in 0 or 11910, 1970, 2030
Metal sharpens the Dog. Principled and disciplined, the Metal Dog is said to be the most exacting of the five, with firm standards.
Water Dog
Years ending in 2 or 31922, 1982
Water softens the Dog. Perceptive and adaptable, the Water Dog is described as a better listener and more at ease with change.
Dog Compatibility: Best and Worst Matches
Tradition gives the Dog three best matches: the Tiger and Horse, its trine group, and the Rabbit, its Secret Friend. The hardest are the Dragon, directly opposite on the zodiac wheel, and the Rooster, a harm pair. These come from fixed rules, not opinion.
Hardest Matches
- DragonOpposite sign (clash) 六冲
- RoosterHarm pair 六害Rooster and Dog compatibility
Tiger and Horse
Same trine group. The Tiger’s courage and the Horse’s freedom-loving energy fit the Dog’s honest, protective nature.
Rabbit
The Dog’s Secret Friend, a traditional natural ally. The gentle Rabbit calms the anxious Dog, and the Dog gives the Rabbit something to trust.
Dragon
Opposite the Dog on the wheel, a clash. The Dragon’s pride and the Dog’s sense of justice meet head on, and each thinks the other is wrong.
Rooster
A harm pair. The Rooster’s criticism and the Dog’s sensitivity to injustice can set off long arguments.
The Dog in 2026 and 2027
For the full forecast, see the Dog horoscope for 2027 and the 2027 Year of the Goat.
2026, the Fire Horse Year
The Horse is one of the Dog’s trine partners, so tradition reads 2026 as supportive: a good year to lean on friends and take steady steps toward a goal.
2027, the Fire Goat Year
The Goat has no formal link to the Dog in the traditional rules, so tradition reads 2027 as neutral. Steady habits matter more than luck.
The Dog in Chinese Culture: Meaning and Symbols
The Dog took eleventh place in the Great Race, the legend that set the order of the 12 animals. In a popular version it was a strong swimmer but stopped to play in the water, so only the Pig finished behind it.
Faithful Guardian
For thousands of years dogs guarded Chinese homes and villages. A folk saying holds that a cat coming to the house brings poverty and a dog brings wealth (猫来穷，狗来富).
A Bark That Sounds Like Prosperity
The bark of a dog, 旺 (wàng), is also the word for prosperous. In Dog years New Year greetings pun on it, wishing people a year of 旺旺旺.
The Heavenly Dog
In folk belief a celestial dog, the Tiangou (天狗), swallows the sun or the moon during an eclipse. This is why people once beat drums and made noise to scare it off.
Evening and the Ninth Month
The Dog’s earthly branch, 戌 (xū), marks the ninth month of the traditional solar calendar, which starts around October 8, and the hours from 7 to 9 in the evening.
Dog Career, Money and Health
Traditional advice for the Dog is the same in every area: keep the principles, and worry a little less.
Career
Dogs do best in work that serves others and rewards integrity: teaching, medicine, law, social work, the police and the military. Jobs that require bending the truth are harder.
Money
Tradition describes the Dog as careful with money and generous to those it loves. A useful habit is to set a fixed amount for helping others, so generosity does not leave you stretched.
Health
Dogs are described as dependable but prone to worry. Tradition links the Dog’s Earth element with the stomach and with anxiety. That is cultural symbolism, not medical advice. Regular exercise and time with friends help most.
Dog Zodiac FAQ
What years are the Year of the Dog?
Dog years include 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 and 2030. The next one starts on Feb 3, 2030. Each Dog year begins on Lunar New Year, so check the exact dates if you were born in January or February.
I was born in January 2018. Am I a Dog?
No. Lunar New Year 2018 fell on February 16, so births before that date belong to the Rooster year that began in 2017. From February 16, 2018 on, you are a Dog.
Why is the Dog eleventh in the zodiac?
In the legend of the Great Race the Dog was a strong swimmer but stopped to play in the water, and it reached the bank in eleventh place. Only the Pig came after it.
What is the Dog's enemy sign?
The Dragon. It sits opposite the Dog on the zodiac wheel, a pairing tradition calls a clash. The Rooster is the other hard match, a harm pair. Both point to friction in style, not a ban on friendship or marriage.
Who should a Dog marry?
Tradition favors the Rabbit, Tiger and Horse. The Tiger and Horse share the Dog's trine group, and the Rabbit is its Secret Friend. The Dragon and Rooster are harder. Real couples depend more on the two people than on their signs.
Is 2026 a good year for the Dog?
Traditionally, yes. The Horse, 2026's animal, is a trine partner of the Dog, a supportive pairing. It is usually read as a good year to lean on friends and to take steady steps toward a goal.