Dog

The Dog is the eleventh animal in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the Year of the Dog are loyal, honest, and faithful. They are helpful, caring, and always willing to lend a hand. Of course, personality is shaped by far more than birth year -- the full Bazi (Four Pillars) system considers the month, day, and hour of birth for a much more detailed profile.

Check the "Compatibility" section above for the Dog's best and least compatible matches. These pairings come from the traditional Six Harmonies and Six Clashes rules of the Earthly Branch system. Best matches share complementary energy, while clashing signs sit opposite each other on the zodiac wheel.

The Dog's lucky numbers are 3, 4, 9, and its lucky colors are Red, Green, Purple. Lucky flowers include Rose, Cymbidium Orchids. These associations are drawn from the Five Elements system and the traditional correspondences between each animal sign and various natural elements.

The zodiac repeats on a 12-year cycle, so the next Year of the Dog will come 12 years after the most recent one. Check the years listed at the top of this page and add 12 to the latest year shown. Remember that the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on January 1.

Your zodiac year (Ben Ming Nian) comes every 12 years and is traditionally seen as a year of ups and downs. The belief is that you "offend" Tai Sui, the presiding deity of the year. Common precautions include wearing red -- underwear, socks, bracelets, or waist bands -- throughout the year, as red is thought to deflect misfortune. Some people also visit temples to pray to Tai Sui at the start of the year. Whether you take it seriously or treat it as a cultural tradition, it's a good reminder to be a bit more cautious and thoughtful in a Ben Ming Nian year.