Chinese Year of the Dog

By Emma Suttie D.Ac, AP

On Friday February 16, 2018, we celebrated Chinese New Year and brought in the year of the dog. The Chinese new year falls on a different day every year and this is because it is based on a lunar cycle, unlike our calendar, which is based on the movement of the sun. In the Chinese zodiac, each year is dedicated to an animal, and it runs in twelve year cycles in a specific order. Each year also corresponds to an element based on the Chinese five element system - Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. This year is the year of the earth dog.

Years of the Dog include 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, and 2030. The dog year occupies the eleventh position in the Chinese zodiac.

People who are born in a year associated with a specific animal are said to have certain traits. Those born in a dog year are said to have the personality traits below. There are also five elements which rotate throughout the zodiac, 2018 is an earth year, therefore, this is an earth dog year. These elements further distinguish personality traits among people born in dog years. The different characteristics are listed below.

Wood Dog - Years - 1934, 1994

• Sincere
• Reliable
• Considerate
• Patient
• Understanding

Fire Dog - 1946, 2006

• Sincere
• Hardworking
• Intelligent

Earth Dog - 1958, 2018

• Excellent Communicator
• Responsible
• Serious

Metal Dog - 1910, 1970

• Cautious
• Conservative
• Always helpful to others
• Desirable

Water Dog - 1922, 1982

• Excellent at managing financial affairs
• Self Reliant
• Brave
• Independent

Lucky Things for Dogs

If you were born in a dog year the following things are considered lucky...

Lucky Numbers - 3, 4, 9 (and any numbers containing them, ie: 34, 49)

Lucky Colours - Red, Green and Purple

Lucky Days - The 7th and 28th of every Chinese lunar month

Lucky Months - The 6th, 10th and 12th Chinese lunar months

Lucky Directions - East, South and NorthEast

Lucky Flowers - Rose, Orchids

The Dog Personality

Dogs are loyal, kind, honest and trustworthy and will do anything for the people in their lives that they feel are the most important. They are cautious however, and will only give their loyalty and affections to someone whom they feel truly deserves it. Dogs are always happy and in a good mood, and able to see the bright side of any situation. Most seek out a simple life spending their time and energy on good friends, family and things that make them happy. Because of their inherent goodness, they also do not tend to crime, violence or other negative activities, they are more interested in the positive things in life.

One thing that dogs struggle with is communication, and always seem to have difficulty expressing themselves to others. Often, things can be misunderstood or misinterpreted and this can lead to problems. This can make relationships difficult and people sometimes are left with the impression that dogs are difficult to get along with.

Dogs are always ready to help others and are very selfless and not interested in their own gains, especially for those in their inner circle. Conversely, if they are deceived by those they trust, they will be deeply hurt and the betrayal can send them into a deep depression.

Dogs are usually very healthy and love to be active. They tend to have strong immune systems which makes them resilient when illnesses like colds and flus are going around and everyone else is falling ill.

Famous People Born in Dog Years

WinstonChurchill (wood dog) / Madonna (earth dog) / Elvis Presley (wood dog) / Mother Teresa (metal dog) Michael Jackson (earth dog) / Steven Spielberg (fire dog) / George Bush Jr. (fire dog) / Bill Clinton (fire dog) / Donald Trump (fire dog)

The featured image photo by Hyunwon Jang on Unsplash