The Dog in the Chinese zodiac
The Dog is the sign of loyalty and a sense of justice. It takes its commitments seriously, protects the people it loves and has a clear moral compass. It rarely betrays a trust, and does not easily forgive when it is betrayed.
Its vulnerable side is anxiety and a tendency to expect the worst. The element of the birth year defines whether that loyalty is expressed with warmth, passion, stability, rigor or sensitivity, which is why each Dog has its own profile.
Birth years by element
If you were born in January or early February, check the date of Chinese New Year that year: your animal may be the one from the previous year.
Strengths / Challenges
Strengths
- Unconditional loyalty
- Sense of justice
- Reliability
Challenges
- Tends to worry excessively
- Distrusts too soon
Wood Dog
Character
The Wood Dog is the kindest and most collaborative. It has a strong wish to help and to improve its surroundings. It is idealistic, generous and open to other people's ideas, although it can take on too many responsibilities that are not its own.
Love and relationships
It is affectionate, faithful and very attentive to its partner. It needs trust in order to open up. Its challenge is not to sacrifice too much or keep quiet about what bothers it just to avoid conflict.
Work
It does well in education, social work, health, law, nonprofits and collective causes. It performs better when its work feels meaningful. It helps to learn to set limits on what it accepts.
Fire Dog
Character
Fire gives the Dog courage and passion for its causes. It is more direct, energetic and ready to defend what it believes in. Its loyalty is fierce, though it can also be impulsive when it perceives an injustice.
Love and relationships
It loves with intensity and devotion. It is protective and expressive. Its temper heats up fast in the face of distrust or jealousy, and it helps to learn to pause before reacting.
Work
It excels in activism, advocacy, investigative journalism, security, community leadership and public policy. It commits fully. It should watch its energy to avoid burnout.
Earth Dog
Character
The Earth Dog is the steadiest and most reliable. It is patient, practical and admirably consistent. It looks after others discreetly and is often the one who holds the group together when things get hard.
Love and relationships
It is loyal, careful and focused on building a solid home. It expresses affection through actions and constant presence. It can become closed or stubborn when it feels its stability is at risk.
Work
It works very well in administration, health, education, construction, logistics and public services. It is meticulous and responsible. Over the years it usually earns respect for its dependability.
Metal Dog
Character
Metal makes the Dog firm, disciplined and unbending in its principles. It is the most demanding when it comes to ethics and loyalty. It can be severe in its judgments and inflexible when someone strays from its values.
Love and relationships
It is faithful and committed, though reserved emotionally. It takes a long time to trust and even longer to forgive. Its partner finds very solid support in it, as long as there is honesty.
Work
It stands out in law, security, auditing, medicine, engineering and public service. Its integrity is its best asset. The challenge is to accept that others reach good results by different paths.
Water Dog
Character
The Water Dog is the most empathetic and receptive. It easily senses other people's moods and adapts well to different personalities. It is sensitive, and its anxiety rises when it absorbs the worries around it.
Love and relationships
It is tender, understanding and very devoted. It looks for a relationship of deep trust. It may doubt itself or need frequent reassurance, and it helps to talk things through instead of ruminating.
Work
It develops well in psychology, social work, counseling, nursing, writing and advisory work. It does best in cooperative environments with a clear purpose.
Compatibility
The Dog usually gets along well with the Tiger, the Rabbit and the Horse. With the Tiger it shares courage and a sense of justice; with the Rabbit, sensitivity and similar values; with the Horse, honesty and a free spirit. Tradition points to clashes with the Dragon, because of very different temperaments. These are descriptive tendencies, not a sentence.
Want to know your exact animal, element, and polarity?
Calculate my Chinese horoscope →