Year of the Dog

Personality

The Dog arrived eleventh — and was nearly first, having been among the strongest swimmers. But it could not resist stopping to play in the water along the way, and by the time it arrived, nearly everyone else was already there. The Dog is loyal and honest, and it paid for its enthusiasm with its placement. Those born under it would do it again, without regret.

Dog people are the backbone of every group they belong to. Your loyalty is total and unconditional — once given, it does not waver. You are honest to a degree that sometimes surprises people who mistake your gentleness for softness. You have a deep sense of fairness, and injustice — whether directed at yourself or others — activates something fierce in you.

Challenges

The Dog's protectiveness can become possessiveness, and its loyalty can shade into an inability to see that the thing it's protecting is no longer worth protecting. You can be stubborn once you've made up your mind, and your anxiety about the people you love can tip into hovering. The Dog who learns to trust that others can look after themselves — and that its own needs matter too — is finally free.

In Life & Career

Dogs are drawn to law, social work, medicine, emergency services, the military, counselling, and any role where protecting or serving others is the point. You do your best work when the stakes are real.

Compatibility

Famous Dog People

In Japanese

In Japanese, the Dog is known as the character 戌 (pronounced inu in the context of the zodiac). This is the traditional kanji used in the 干支 (eto) calendar system, which assigns an animal and element to each year in a sixty-year cycle.