Chinese zodiac · 戌 Xū
Year of the Dog
The Dog is the eleventh of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, the animal of the earthly branch Xū. Each Dog year starts at Lì Chūn, the Start of Spring, around February 4, not on January 1.
At a glance
- In Chinese
- 狗 (gǒu); the branch 戌 (xū)
- Dog years
- 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042
- Next Dog year
- 2030, from Lì Chūn at 3:08 am on February 4, Beijing time (Lunar New Year: February 3, 2030)
- The branch's own element
- Earth
- Dog hour
- 7 pm to 9 pm, by the sun
- Dog month
- From 寒露 (Cold Dew), about October 8, to 立冬 (Start of Winter), about November 7
- Matches in tradition
- Six combination: Rabbit (卯). Three harmony: Tiger (寅) and Horse (午).
- Clash in tradition
- Dragon (辰)
- 2027 almanac lists
- Punishment (刑太岁) and break (破太岁)
Every Dog year, with exact dates
| Year | Name | By Lunar New Year | By Lì Chūn (Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 甲戌, Wood Dog | 14 Feb 1934 to 3 Feb 1935 | 4 Feb 1934, 8:03 pm to 5 Feb 1935, 1:48 am |
| 1946 | 丙戌, Fire Dog | 2 Feb 1946 to 21 Jan 1947 | 4 Feb 1946, 6:03 pm to 4 Feb 1947, 11:50 pm |
| 1958 | 戊戌, Earth Dog | 18 Feb 1958 to 7 Feb 1959 | 4 Feb 1958, 3:49 pm to 4 Feb 1959, 9:42 pm |
| 1970 | 庚戌, Metal Dog | 6 Feb 1970 to 26 Jan 1971 | 4 Feb 1970, 1:45 pm to 4 Feb 1971, 7:26 pm |
| 1982 | 壬戌, Water Dog | 25 Jan 1982 to 12 Feb 1983 | 4 Feb 1982, 11:45 am to 4 Feb 1983, 5:39 pm |
| 1994 | 甲戌, Wood Dog | 10 Feb 1994 to 30 Jan 1995 | 4 Feb 1994, 9:30 am to 4 Feb 1995, 3:13 pm |
| 2006 | 丙戌, Fire Dog | 29 Jan 2006 to 17 Feb 2007 | 4 Feb 2006, 7:27 am to 4 Feb 2007, 1:18 pm |
| 2018 | 戊戌, Earth Dog | 16 Feb 2018 to 4 Feb 2019 | 4 Feb 2018, 5:28 am to 4 Feb 2019, 11:14 am |
| 2030 | 庚戌, Metal Dog | 3 Feb 2030 to 22 Jan 2031 | 4 Feb 2030, 3:08 am to 4 Feb 2031, 8:58 am |
| 2042 | 壬戌, Water Dog | 22 Jan 2042 to 9 Feb 2043 | 4 Feb 2042, 1:12 am to 4 Feb 2043, 6:58 am |
Take a made-up birth on February 5, 2018. Lì Chūn had come at 5:28 am on February 4, Beijing time, so in BaZi that baby is a Dog. Lunar New Year didn't come until February 16, 2018, so many zodiac calendars still say a Rooster. Both answers are in use; this site counts from Lì Chūn.
Check your birthday
Your animal is one character of eight. Enter your birth date to check your animal and see the type BaZi reads from your birth day. It's worked out in your browser and sent nowhere.
The Dog's five elements
Wood Dog, 甲戌: 1934, 1994. Na Yin: Mountaintop Fire (山头火).
Fire Dog, 丙戌: 1946, 2006. Na Yin: Rooftop Earth (屋上土).
Earth Dog, 戊戌: 1958, 2018. Na Yin: Level-Ground Wood (平地木).
Metal Dog, 庚戌: 1970, 2030. Na Yin: Hairpin Metal (钗钏金).
Water Dog, 壬戌: 1982, 2042. Na Yin: Great Ocean Water (大海水).
The element comes from the year's heavenly stem, so it changes every two years and comes back every ten. The Na Yin is a second element that tradition gives each of the sixty pairs.
The Dog in folk tradition
In the folk tale of the great race, the Dog took time for a bath, and came in eleventh.
Popular lore describes people born in a Dog year as loyal, honest, brave and willing to help others.
These are folk descriptions, not facts about anyone born in a Dog year.
Dog compatibility in tradition: matches and clashes
Six combination (六合) with the Rabbit (卯): each branch has one partner of this kind.
Three harmony (三合) with the Tiger (寅) and the Horse (午): together, the three make the Fire trio.
Clash (冲) with the Dragon (辰): the branch opposite on the circle of twelve.
Harm (害) with the Rooster (酉); punishment (刑) with the Ox (丑) and the Goat (未); break (破) with the Goat (未).
These are relations between two year branches, one character of eight in each chart. They're tradition, not a verdict on a couple. A full comparison reads both whole charts.
The Dog in 2027
2027 is a Fire Goat year, 丁未, from Lì Chūn on February 4, 2027.
- The 2027 almanac's two lists: Tai Sui, and combining with the year
- Punishment (刑太岁) and break (破太岁)
These two lists are printed here as the almanac gives them, with no verdict attached: being on either one, or on neither, says nothing about how the year goes.
The other animals
Sources
MiraCosta College Library, China Culture, China Daily (2013), China Daily (2015), China Daily (2023), Asian Art Museum, CGTN
A traditional reading for entertainment, reflection and cultural interest, not a prediction or professional advice. Disclaimer
Last updated: 2026-11-13