What years are the Year of the Dog?

Recent and upcoming Years of the Dog are 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042. The next one is 2042. Because the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, a birthday in January or early February may fall under the previous sign.

What is the Dog's personality like?

The Dog is loyal, honest, and protective — the friend who always has your back, keeps their word, and cannot stand to see anyone treated unfairly. At their best they are faithful, responsible, just, brave; the flip side can be anxious, pessimistic, stubborn, guarded. The Dog is a Yang sign with a fixed element of Earth (土).

Which signs are most compatible with the Dog?

The Dog gets along best with the Tiger, Horse, Rabbit. The one classic clash (六冲) is the Dragon, the sign sitting directly opposite in the cycle.

11th sign · 狗

Year of the Dog

狗 · gǒu

The Dog is loyal, honest, and protective — the friend who always has your back, keeps their word, and cannot stand to see anyone treated unfairly.

Element: Earth (土 tǔ)Yang

Birth years

Were you born in a Year of the Dog?

If your birth year is below, you're a Dog — but a January or February birthday may put you under the Rooster, since the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year.

1970198219942006201820302042

Personality

What the Dog is like

loyalhonestfriendlyprotective

Strengths

faithful
responsible
just
brave

Watch out for

anxious
pessimistic
stubborn
guarded

Element & polarity

A Yang Earth sign

Every sign carries a fixed element from the 五行 (wǔ xíng, the five elements). The Dog's is Earth (土 tǔ), which shades its character toward the qualities that element suggests.

Its polarity is Yang (阳 yáng) — the signs alternate down the cycle, and each birth year's own element layers on top, so a Dog born in one element's year reads differently from a Dog born in another.

Compatibility

Who the Dog matches

Best matches come from the harmony triangle (三合) and the six-harmony friend (六合); the classic clash (六冲) is the sign directly opposite.

Best matches

Tiger Horse Rabbit

Biggest clash

Dragon

The Dragon sits opposite the Dog in the cycle — the pairing tradition says strikes the most sparks.

Fortune

Lucky for the Dog

Lucky numbers

3, 4, 9

Lucky colours

green, red, purple

Suits careers in

teacher, lawyer, nurse, advocate

FAQ

Dog: common questions

What years are the Year of the Dog?: Recent and upcoming Years of the Dog are 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042. The next one is 2042. Because the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, a birthday in January or early February may fall under the previous sign.
What is the Dog's personality like?: The Dog is loyal, honest, and protective — the friend who always has your back, keeps their word, and cannot stand to see anyone treated unfairly. At their best they are faithful, responsible, just, brave; the flip side can be anxious, pessimistic, stubborn, guarded. The Dog is a Yang sign with a fixed element of Earth (土).
Which signs are most compatible with the Dog?: The Dog gets along best with the Tiger, Horse, Rabbit. The one classic clash (六冲) is the Dragon, the sign sitting directly opposite in the cycle.