Chinese zodiac
The Dog in the Chinese zodiac
The Dog is the 11th animal of the Chinese zodiac, a yang sign whose fixed element is Earth. Tradition associates it with being loyal, honest and protective — a strong sense of what is fair. Dog years include 1994 (Wood), 2006 (Fire), 2018 (Earth), 2030 (Metal).
| Order | 11 of 12 |
|---|---|
| Earthly branch | Xu 戌 |
| Chinese character | 狗 |
| Fixed element | Earth |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Best matches (San He trine) | Tiger and Horse |
| Secret friend (Liu He) | Rabbit |
| Clash (Chong) | Dragon |
| Harm (Liu Hai) | Rooster |
| Solar month | about 8 October – 6 November |
| Double-hour | 19:00 – 21:00 |
Each year's element comes from its heavenly stem, so a Dog year is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water in turn and the same combination returns every sixty years. The start dates above are computed from the Sun's position: Li Chun is the moment it reaches 315° of ecliptic longitude.
A year does not begin on 1 January. The popular zodiac changes at Chinese New Year (between 21 January and 20 February); BaZi changes it at Li Chun, the start of spring, around 4 February. Anyone born in January or early February belongs to the previous year's animal.
In compatibility, the Dog forms a San He trine with the Tiger and Horse, a Liu He pair ("secret friend") with the Rabbit, clashes (Chong) with the Dragon, the animal six places away, and harms (Liu Hai) the Rooster.
The Dog is also the Xu branch of the day, ruling the double-hour 19:00 – 21:00, and of the solar month that runs from about 8 October to 6 November. In a BaZi chart it can appear in any of the four pillars — year, month, day or hour — not only the year.
| Year | Element | Begins (Li Chun, Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Yang Fire | 4 Feb, 18:04 |
| 1958 | Yang Earth | 4 Feb, 15:49 |
| 1970 | Yang Metal | 4 Feb, 13:46 |
| 1982 | Yang Water | 4 Feb, 11:45 |
| 1994 | Yang Wood | 4 Feb, 09:31 |
| 2006 | Yang Fire | 4 Feb, 07:27 |
| 2018 | Yang Earth | 4 Feb, 05:29 |
| 2030 | Yang Metal | 4 Feb, 03:08 |
Questions
What years are the Year of the Dog?
1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030. Remember the year starts at Chinese New Year (or Li Chun, around 4 February, in BaZi), not on 1 January.
Who is the Dog most compatible with?
The Tiger and Horse (its San He trine) and the Rabbit (its Liu He secret friend). Its traditional clash is with the Dragon, and it harms the Rooster.
What element is the Dog?
The Dog's fixed element is Earth. Each Dog year also has its own element from the heavenly stem — for example 2030 is a Metal Dog.
What time is the hour of the Dog?
19:00 – 21:00, the Xu hour. It gives the branch of the hour pillar in BaZi; many practitioners first correct clock time to local solar time.
In Plutto
Plutto reads all four of your animals — year, month, day and hour — in your BaZi chart. Background: Chinese astrology (BaZi).
Ask it something you actually want to know.