Year of the Dog 狗

The Dog is sign 11 of the twelve-animal Chinese zodiac cycle. Recent and upcoming Dog years include 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 — but remember the animal changes at Lunar New Year, not on January 1, so January and early-February birthdays may belong to the previous sign.

Dog years

Between 1940 and 2035 the Year of the Dog falls in: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030. Each of those years also carries an element from the ten-year Heavenly Stem cycle, so no two Dog years in a row are quite the same flavour — a full animal-and-element combination repeats only every 60 years. Check any single year, for example born in 2018, for its exact pairing.

Dog personality

Loyal, fair-minded and quietly anxious on behalf of everyone they love, the Dog is the friend who actually shows up. Dogs have a sharp sense for dishonesty and a stubborn streak when a principle is at stake.

Lucky numbers and colours

In the tradition this site follows, the Dog's lucky numbers are 3 and 4 and 9 and its lucky colours are green, red, purple. Treat these as the fun part of the reading — a nudge for a jersey number or a notebook colour, not a strategy.

Dog compatibility

Traditionally faithful matches with Tiger and Horse, and calm with Rabbit. Dragon, the opposite sign, may find the Dog too cautious. You can test any pairing on the 12×12 compatibility matrix.

Famous Dogs

Well-known people born in a Year of the Dog include Winston Churchill (born 1874) and Michael Jackson (born 1958) — listed by birth year only, which is all the zodiac claims about them.

Not sure if you're a Dog?

Birthdays near Lunar New Year are the classic trap. Use the finder on the homepage with your exact birth date, or check the New Year dates table for your year.

Explore the other animals

Zodiac Sign Finder is for entertainment. Astrology is a tradition of stories and symbols, not a science — enjoy your reading the way you'd enjoy a fortune cookie: lightly.