Year of the Dog: Fortune, Personality, Horoscope (2025)
Dog is the 11th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs, coming after the Rooster and before the Pig. Recent years of the Dog include 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958, and 1946, with the next Dog year in 2030 (Year of the Metal Dog). It is associated with the earthly branch sign xu.
In Chinese astrology, Dog has a keen sense of justice, valor, and loyalty—betrayal is not part of their dictionary. They’re courageous, helpful, humble, and kind-hearted, with a spirit of selfless dedication and an inviolable conduct of morality.
Chinese Zodiac Years for Dog
The 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs, like many aspects of traditional Chinese culture, are based on the Chinese lunar calendar, which does not correspond perfectly with our Gregorian calendar. Use our zodiac sign calculator below to find your zodiac sign.
Chinese zodiac calculator
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When confirming your zodiac animal, if you were born in January or February, pay particular attention to the start of Chinese New Year—you might be the previous year’s animal (use the chart below).
Chart of Years, Dates, and Elements for Dog Zodiac Signs
Dog Year | Lunar Year Start Date | Lunar Year End Date | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
1922 | January 28, 1922 | February 15, 1923 | Water |
1934 | February 14, 1934 | February 3, 1935 | Wood |
1946 | February 2, 1946 | January 21, 1947 | Fire |
1958 | February 18, 1958 | February 7, 1959 | Earth |
1970 | February 6, 1970 | January 26, 1971 | Metal |
1982 | January 25, 1982 | February 12, 1983 | Water |
1994 | February 10, 1994 | January 30, 1995 | Wood |
2006 | January 29, 2006 | February 17, 2007 | Fire |
2018 | February 16, 2018 | February 4, 2019 | Earth |
2030 | February 3, 2030 | January 22, 2031 | Metal |
Dog’s 2025 Horoscope (Year of the Snake)
2025 will bring significant improvement for Dogs, with strong financial and career prospects, along with potential for true love. By staying cautious with investments and relationships, Dogs can enjoy a prosperous and stable year.
Read more: Dog’s 2025 Horoscope (Love, Career, Wealth, Health)
Personality Traits of Dog Signs
Dogs are friendly, fun-loving, and fiercely loyal to their friends and family, maintaining these relationships over a lifetime of sincerity. They are also compassionate, innocent, and romantic souls who possess a strong intuition to boot.
They need praise and encouragement when they exhibit their instinct to follow and protect. This makes Dogs more of a dependable team player than a strong leader, both at work and in their love life.
Honest and loyal, Dogs are the truest friends and most reliable partner.
Dogs possess a strong sense of social responsibility and take the initiative to safeguard good against evil, although they’d like someone to fight alongside them. For these devoted souls, feelings have more weight than rationality.
Their logic in life is simple, so you can always count on their actions and feelings to match their words. If they flout rules—unthinkable for their own sake—it’s to protect those they love.
Dog Strengths
Dogs are loyal to friends and family, treating these loved ones with genuine adoration. They’re family-oriented as a result, going as far as valuing these relationships in their life as more important than life itself.
They are frank by nature and, as a matter of principle, not only when it is convenient to them. As a friend, lover, or family member, there is no better zodiac sign to have around.
Dog Weaknesses
Because feelings play a major role in their life, Dogs can frequently experience emotional turbulence. They may even become listless and idle, or act arbitrarily. This could lead to serious setbacks for less mature Dogs.
Dog people may be prone to a lack of patience and impulsivity in how they act, which can become frustrating for their romantic partners and family members because it’s hard to trust them with anything serious.
Dog Zodiacs and the Five Elements Theory
The Chinese Five Elements Theory assigns one of the five elements—Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth—to each year, in addition to the zodiacs. So Dogs born in different years will have different personalities.
Lucky (and Unlucky) Things for Dogs
Dogs should choose red and yellow, 2 and 7, north and west, for the most fortunate outcome and good luck. On the other hand, the color green, 1 and 6, and the direction of southeast are best avoided.
See also: Top 10 things to avoid on Chinese New Year
Your Ben Ming Nian, or zodiac birth year, is also considered unlucky in Chinese culture, so be prepared to wear the color red (red underwear is a popular choice) throughout your year to ward off any misfortune.
Lucky Things
Lucky numbers: 3, 4, 9
Lucky colors: Green, Red, Purple
Lucky directions: North, Northwest
Lucky mineral: Emerald
Lucky flowers: Lucky Bamboo, Cymbidium Orchids
Unlucky Things
Unlucky numbers: 1, 7, 8
Unlucky colors: Blue, Brown
Unlucky directions: Southeast
Love and Compatibility for Dogs
Dogs are accepting and loyal in love, often choosing sympathetic partners who will return their genuine affections. Instead of a wild romance, Dogs usually prefer to start as friends and gradually build a time-tested love.
They’ll think long and hard about a potential mate before pursuing. Such a reliable approach to compatibility means that Dogs are usually successful in love, as they’ll instinctively know how to cultivate affections in the right way.
❤️ Best Match: Dog and Tiger
Dog and Tiger share loyalty in common, although this takes different forms. While Dog is selfless and won’t hesitate to put their partner’s interest before their own, Tiger usually offers protection like a loving monarch.
That doesn’t mean they won’t appreciate this rare quality in their partner or know that it stems from a unifying vision of right and wrong, which will inform the home life these two build together.
❤️ Best Match: Dog and Horse
Since both Dog and Horse are open and frank, communication should be a breeze, and that’s half of the battle in any relationship. In addition, what Dog and Horse want in life generally align, too.
So this will be one of those sweet and easygoing relationships characterized by long-term commitment since Dog’s loyalty inspires Horse, who may have been a wandering soul by themselves, to also desire stability.
❤️ Best Match: Dog and Rabbit
Dog has always been simple and dependable, and that’s why when they encounter Rabbit, who’s whimsical and just a bit capricious, they’re often intoxicated by Rabbit’s charm and the magical presence Rabbit brings to their world.
What Dog doesn’t detect—at least not explicitly—is that Rabbit is often insecure, and it’s precisely Dog’s steadfast loyalty and the unlikelihood of their changing that reassures Rabbit and allows them to truly blossom.
Worst Matches: Dragon, Rooster
Dog and Dragon: Dog and Dragon aren’t likely to be happy together because there will be misunderstandings and discord between them. Dog may unknowingly damage Dragon’s legendary pride, while Dragon will find Dog’s loyalty and dedication impossibly dull.
Each will become increasingly cold to their partner until both parties decide to satisfy their emotional needs elsewhere. Perhaps it’s for the best that these two zodiac signs won’t likely be drawn to each other.
Dog and Rooster: Dog and Rooster will likely find the other person less than what they’d hoped for in a romantic partner, with Rooster becoming critical and Dog biting with words until both decide they have had enough.
Both partners are tenacious, which may manifest as both being unwilling to back down or apologize in an argument. For this reason, a marriage between Dog and Rooster will end in the bitterest of divorces.
Careers Fit for the Chinese Zodiac Dog
Dogs are upright individuals who sincerely desire to help others. Everyone will trust their worst troubles to Dogs, which could be too much pressure on Dogs, who may sacrifice their own well-being to help others.
Dogs are loyal and trustworthy above all, often making them the most valued right-hand man for their superiors in the workplace, ensuring Dog a smooth rise in their career, even if not to the top.
They’ll prefer any kind of traditional industry over more creative industries. A career in law may be especially suitable since Dogs possess that keen sense of justice and desire for the greater good of society.
Best careers for Dogs
Police Officer
Accountant
Operations Specialist
Civil Servant
Lawyer
Worst careers for Dogs
Speculative Investor
Artist
Margins Trader
Designer
YouTuber
Health and Lifestyle Advice for Dogs
Dog tends to be vital and energetic, with robust health. However, they often take on more than they can handle, leading to stress and potential burnout. Regular exercise and rest are crucial for this zodiac.
In particular, they should prioritize self-care and set boundaries to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Embracing relaxation techniques, such as meditation or breathwork, can be beneficial in maintaining their mental and physical well-being as they age.
Dog and the 12 Zodiac Animals (Origin Story)
Dog is a zodiac, but only second to last because, in the origin story or myth, it didn’t do well in a celestial race. How come man’s best friend had to be satisfied with this low ranking?
At the beginning of time, the Jade Emperor hosted a race across the celestial river to decide which animals would become part of the zodiac. Dog was a fast swimmer and a fan favorite.
Dog loved the attention, so it dallied for too long, catering to the crowd. By the time it finally set off in the race, most other animals had long since made it across the finish line.
Famous People Born in the Year of the Dog
Dog is sweet and genuine, at times self-effacing, but that’s just the special charm that will end up making them famous and adored.
Michael Jackson: August 29, 1958, Earth Dog
Saoirse Ronan: April 12, 1994, Wood Dog
Donald Trump: June 14, 1946, Fire Dog
Mariah Carey: March 27, 1970, Metal Dog
Nicki Minaj: December 8, 1982, Water Dog
Elvis Presley: January 8, 1935, Wood Dog
Madonna: August 16, 1958, Earth Dog
Anne Hathaway: November 12, 1982, Water Dog