Year of the Dog —
the loyal guardian
| Dog years | 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 |
|---|---|
| Most recent | 2018 (Earth Dog) |
| Next Dog year | 2030 (Metal Dog), from Feb 3, 2030 |
| Branch · element | 戌 Xu · Yang Earth |
| Best matches | Horse, Rabbit, Monkey |
| Hardest matches | Dragon, Goat |
| In 2027 | 66/100 — a year for care |
Dogs are honest and dependable. Once you are on their side, they defend you to the end, and they cannot stand injustice.
Dog years
Each Dog year starts at Chinese New Year, so January and early-February birthdays belong to the sign before. The dates below are the Chinese calendar (UTC+8).
| Year | Sign | From – to |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Wood Dog 甲戌 | Feb 14, 1934 – Feb 3, 1935 |
| 1946 | Fire Dog 丙戌 | Feb 2, 1946 – Jan 21, 1947 |
| 1958 | Earth Dog 戊戌 | Feb 18, 1958 – Feb 7, 1959 |
| 1970 | Metal Dog 庚戌 | Feb 6, 1970 – Jan 26, 1971 |
| 1982 | Water Dog 壬戌 | Jan 25, 1982 – Feb 12, 1983 |
| 1994 | Wood Dog 甲戌 | Feb 10, 1994 – Jan 30, 1995 |
| 2006 | Fire Dog 丙戌 | Jan 29, 2006 – Feb 17, 2007 |
| 2018 | Earth Dog 戊戌 | Feb 16, 2018 – Feb 4, 2019 |
| 2030 | Metal Dog 庚戌 | Feb 3, 2030 – Jan 22, 2031 |
Personality
Strengths: loyalty; a strong sense of fairness; responsibility.
Challenges: anxiety and constant vigilance; rigidity; distrust that is slow to fade.
In love. Dogs are devoted, constant partners. Doubt makes them anxious, so honesty matters to them more than romance.
At work. Dogs are the backbone of an organization: law, public service, healthcare, security and teaching — wherever integrity counts.
The five Dogs
The year’s heavenly stem adds one of five elements, so a 1982 Dog and a 1994 one are not quite the same animal.
- Wood Dog1934, 1994
The Wood Dog is warm and cooperative, the Dog most at ease in a team. - Fire Dog1946, 2006
The Fire Dog is passionate and outspoken, a natural advocate for people and causes. - Earth Dog1958, 2018
The Earth Dog is steady and responsible, slow to change its mind and slower still to abandon anyone. - Metal Dog1970, 2030
The Metal Dog is the most principled and determined, with a strict sense of right and wrong. - Water Dog1982
The Water Dog is the gentlest Dog: understanding, perceptive and more flexible than the rest.
Best and worst matches
Best: Horse (84), Rabbit (76), Monkey (74). Hardest: Dragon (41), Goat (44).
| With | Score | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Horse 午 | 84 | A strong match Natural allies |
| Rabbit 卯 | 76 | A strong match Secret friends |
| Monkey 申 | 74 | A comfortable match Same season |
| Tiger 寅 | 72 | A comfortable match Natural allies |
| Rooster 酉 | 65 | A comfortable match Same season |
| Dog & Dog 戌 | 65 | A comfortable match Same sign |
| Rat 子 | 54 | Needs work Neutral |
| Snake 巳 | 54 | Needs work Quiet resentment |
| Pig 亥 | 54 | Needs work Neutral |
| Ox 丑 | 51 | Needs work Friction |
| Goat 未 | 44 | A clashing pair Friction |
| Dragon 辰 | 41 | A clashing pair Opposites |
Element associations
The Dog’s branch carries Earth (土) — steadiness, patience and practical sense. In Korean tradition, Earth goes with yellow and beige, the center (close to home), and the numbers 5 and 10.
Beyond the year animal
Your animal sign is one of eight characters in a Korean saju chart, and not the one that describes you most closely. That job belongs to the Day Master, the stem of your birth day: ten natures from the Tall Pine to the Morning Dew. What saju is explains how the eight fit together.
The Dog in 2027
The Year of the Fire Goat gives the Dog 66/100 — a year for care (friction with the goat). Read the Dog’s 2027 horoscope → · Month by month for the Dog
Questions about the Dog
What years are the Year of the Dog?
1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 and 2030. Each Dog year starts at Chinese New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so a birthday early in one of those years can still belong to the sign before.
When is the next Year of the Dog?
2030, from Feb 3, 2030 to Jan 22, 2031 — the Metal Dog. The most recent was 2018, the Earth Dog.
What is the Dog most compatible with?
The Dog’s best matches are the Horse (84/100), the Rabbit (76/100) and the Monkey (74/100); the hardest are the Dragon (41) and the Goat (44).
What element is the Dog?
The Dog’s branch 戌 carries Earth, which it keeps every year. The year’s stem adds a second element, so there are five kinds of Dog: Wood Dog, Fire Dog, Earth Dog, Metal Dog, Water Dog.
Korean: 개띠 · 개띠 궁합 · 2027년 개띠 운세 · All signs: Rat · Ox · Tiger · Rabbit · Dragon · Snake · Horse · Goat · Monkey · Rooster · Dog · Pig
