Chinese Zodiac · 戌 · 狗
Year of the Dog
Loyal, fair and protective
In 2027 (丁未, Fire Goat)
2027 · the Fire Goat year →A Tai Sui relation (犯太歲) is traditionally read as a year to move steadily and look after routines — never as a threat.
2027 is a 丁未 year: fire (丁) over earth (未).
The Dog's branch, hour and season
- Earthly Branch
- 戌 · YangEarth
- Double hour
- 戌時 · 19:00–21:00
- Solar month
- 戌月 · 寒露 → 立冬 (about October 8 to November 7)
- Season
- Autumn
- Hidden stems (藏干)
- 戊 辛 丁
- Direction
- 300° on the compass (子 is due north)
These correspondences belong to the branch itself, so they are the same in every Year of the Dog. The same branch also names an hour of the day and a solar month, which is how it appears in the hour and month pillars of a BaZi chart.
Traditional matches
古籍
From the classics
Wang Chong's Lùn Héng (1st century AD) is the earliest text that pairs each Earthly Branch with its animal.
戌土也，其禽犬也。Xu is earth; its creature is the dog.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
The classical Chinese is the authoritative text. Translations are iching.tools' own from the Chinese unless another translator is named; several attributions are traditional rather than historical (託名).
Years of the Dog
Each year begins at the Start of Spring (立春), around 4 February. Born before that moment? You belong to the previous animal. Ages count from the year listed; someone born the following January, before 立春, is a year younger.
| Year | Pillar | Element | Starts (Start of Spring, Beijing time) | Age in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 甲戌 | Wood Dog | 1934-02-04 20:03 | 92 (虛歲 93) |
| 1946 | 丙戌 | Fire Dog | 1946-02-04 18:03 | 80 (虛歲 81) |
| 1958 | 戊戌 | Earth Dog | 1958-02-04 15:49 | 68 (虛歲 69) |
| 1970 | 庚戌 | Metal Dog | 1970-02-04 13:45 | 56 (虛歲 57) |
| 1982 | 壬戌 | Water Dog | 1982-02-04 11:45 | 44 (虛歲 45) |
| 1994 | 甲戌 | Wood Dog | 1994-02-04 09:30 | 32 (虛歲 33) |
| 2006 | 丙戌 | Fire Dog | 2006-02-04 07:27 | 20 (虛歲 21) |
| 2018 | 戊戌 | Earth Dog | 2018-02-04 05:28 | 8 (虛歲 9) |
| 2030 | 庚戌 | Metal Dog | 2030-02-04 03:08 | — |
| 2042 | 壬戌 | Water Dog | 2042-02-04 01:12 | — |
Year of the Dog: common questions
- How old are people born in the Year of the Dog?
- In 2026: 8 if born in 2018 (虛歲 9), 20 if born in 2006 (虛歲 21), 32 if born in 1994 (虛歲 33), 44 if born in 1982 (虛歲 45), 56 if born in 1970 (虛歲 57), and 68 if born in 1958 (虛歲 69). 虛歲 is the traditional Chinese count, in which a baby is one at birth and everyone gains a year together at New Year.
- Which years are Years of the Dog?
- Recent Years of the Dog are 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, and 2018. Each begins at 立春 (Start of Spring, around 4 February), not on 1 January or at Chinese New Year.
- Which signs go well with the Dog?
- By the traditional branch relations, the Dog's Six Harmony (六合) partner is the Rabbit, and it forms a Three Harmony (三合) group with the Tiger and Horse. Its opposite (六沖) is the Dragon; tradition reads that as contrasting rhythms rather than a bad match.
- Does the Dog offend Tai Sui in 2027?
- Yes. In the 丁未 year 2027 the Dog has these traditional Tai Sui relations: Punishing Tai Sui and Breaking Tai Sui. Tradition treats this as a year to keep steady and look after daily routines, not as a threat.
- I was born in January or early February. Am I a Dog?
- Only if you were born after 立春 (Start of Spring, about 4 February) of a Year of the Dog. Someone born in January, or in February before 立春, belongs to the previous sign, the Rooster. The zodiac calculator checks your birth against the exact 立春 instant.