Our answer
Year of the Dog 属狗
Eleventh of the 12 zodiac animals
The short answer
The Dog (狗, gǒu) is the eleventh of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Dog years include 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 and 2030, each starting at Lunar New Year. Tradition calls Dog people loyal, honest and brave, and pairs them best with the Tiger and Horse.
| In Chinese | 狗 (gǒu); earthly branch 戌 |
|---|---|
| Place in the cycle | Eleventh of 12 |
| Recent Dog years | 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 |
| Next Year of the Dog | 2030, from 3 Feb 2030 |
| Best matches | Tiger, Horse, Rabbit; clashes with the Dragon |
Year of the Dog: all the years and exact dates
Each Year of the Dog starts at Lunar New Year, so people born in January or early February belong to the previous animal. Check a birth date with our Chinese zodiac calculator.[1]
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Earth Dog (土狗) | 18 Feb 1958 | 7 Feb 1959 |
| 1970 | Metal Dog (金狗) | 6 Feb 1970 | 26 Jan 1971 |
| 1982 | Water Dog (水狗) | 25 Jan 1982 | 12 Feb 1983 |
| 1994 | Wood Dog (木狗) | 10 Feb 1994 | 30 Jan 1995 |
| 2006 | Fire Dog (火狗) | 29 Jan 2006 | 17 Feb 2007 |
| 2018 | Earth Dog (土狗) | 16 Feb 2018 | 4 Feb 2019 |
| 2030 | Metal Dog (金狗) | 3 Feb 2030 | 22 Jan 2031 |
Dog personality: traits tradition gives Dog people
Folk tradition says people born in a Dog year are loyal, honest and brave, though sometimes cautious. The lists differ from source to source, and there is no scientific evidence that birth year shapes personality.[2][3][4]
Dog compatibility: best and worst matches
Traditional matching, which some couples in China still take into account, uses three rules.[2][3][5][6]
| Rule | Match for the Dog | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 三合 (sānhé), trio | Tiger and Horse | Animals four years apart; the most harmonious |
| 六合 (liùhé), pair | Rabbit | A secret friend; a good match |
| 六冲 (liùchōng), clash | Dragon | Six years apart, opposite on the wheel; traditionally avoided |
What the Dog means in Chinese culture
The Dog stands for loyalty. A dog coming to your house is traditionally a sign of coming fortune. Dogs were among the first domesticated animals in China, buried with their owners from the Shang dynasty, and Han-dynasty tombs held pottery dogs.[4][7]
How many babies are born in Dog years in China?
| Dog year | Births in China | Year before | Year after |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 15.84 million | 16.17 million (2005) | 15.94 million (2007) |
| 2018 | 15.23 million | 17.23 million (2017) | 14.65 million (2019) |
Calendar-year births from China’s National Bureau of Statistics, as first published. A zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, so it overlaps two calendar years.
Questions readers ask
What years are the Year of the Dog?
Recent Dog years are 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018; the next is 2030, starting on 3 Feb 2030. Each year starts at Lunar New Year, not 1 January.
What is the Dog compatible with?
Traditionally the Tiger and Horse (its 三合 trio) and the Rabbit (its 六合 pair). Its clash animal is the Dragon.
Sources
- Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar calendar conversion tables, 1901–2100 · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- China Daily, The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their best matches (2016), part 2 · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- China Daily, The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their best matches (2016), part 3 · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- CGTN, The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac: Dog (January 2020) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac (six harmonies and clashes) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Duke Kunshan University, Lingwei Wu (Fudan): zodiac compatibility and marriage matching in China · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- The Met, Celebrating the Year of the Dog (2018) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2005 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2006 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2007 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2017 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2018 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2019 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
Update log. 31 October 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 15 January 2027. Suggest a correction