Dog in the Chinese horoscope

 The dog is one of the most important animals in Chinese culture and is the first of the domestic animals that accompanied the ancestors of the Chinese in their activities on earth. From very early on it played a decisive role in the spiritual life of the people, and its presence in tombs from 8,000 B.C.E. to the Han dynasty shows us that in China, as in the West, the dog was considered the psychopomp par excellence, that is, the one in charge of accompanying the souls in their journeys after death.

In general, the dog was considered a protector against evil spirits, as it detects the presence of strangers long before they become apparent to people, which led to their sacrifice in some ceremonies, hanging their corpses from the city gates. Other times the sacrifice of the dog took place as a way of demonstrating sincerity because the dog could unmask the one who deceived.

Dog sacrifices ceased, paradoxically, when the dog ceased to be valued spiritually, for only that which is valued is sacrificed. But it has always been very close to people. Some emperors can be said to have literally gone mad for their dogs, and granted them ranks and honors, keeping them in the palace amidst unimaginable luxuries.

Many tales tell of the dog’s great loyalty to its master, but in others, perhaps specific to China, dogs transform themselves into people to perform evil deeds, often supplanting the husband in the wife’s chamber.

There is also a long tradition of tribes who considered the dog their ancestor. Even today many of the southern tribes still consider Panhu, a dog who married his master’s daughter as a reward for his actions in war, as their ancestor. It is even possible that the practice of eating dog meat, which still continues in some places, may also have had a religious origin.

In practical life, some peoples in China have enormous respect for the dog, while others have made it a culinary specialty. And so while on the second day of the lunar year respect is paid to it in many places in central China, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month sees the Dog Meat Festival celebrated among the Zhuang of Guangxi.

The dog culture in China is fascinating. I spent a whole year researching its manifestations, the fruit of which is one of my most beloved books: The Magic of Dogs in China and the West,

Since in China we are governed by the lunar calendar, and in the West by the solar calendar, the beginning and end of each year do not coincide exactly. Therefore, before knowing what the Chinese horoscope says about your sign, make sure that you were indeed born under the sign of the Dog, as are the people born on the dates included in the table on the left.

10- Feb -1910 to 29- Jan -1911 Metal

8- Feb -1922 to 15- Feb -1923 Water

14- Feb -1934 to 3- Feb -1935 Wood

2- Feb -1946 to 21- Jan -1947 Fire

18- Feb -1958 to 7- Feb -1959 Earth

6- Feb -1970 to 26- Jan -1971 Metal

25- Jan -1982 to 12- Feb -1983 Water

10- Feb -1994 to 30- Jan -1995 Wood

2006 Jan 29 – 2007 Feb 17 Fire

2018 Feb 16 – 2019 Feb 4 Earth

To complete your cosmic profile it is necessary to know the influence of the Five Elements on your life. Check in the table above the element to which you belong. The time of birth also has a great influence on the character of the person. It is generally considered that those born during the xu hour (from 7 to 9 pm) acquire some qualities of the dog, and tend to be more irritable than those born at other times.

People born under the sign of the dog are usually honest, faithful, generous, and kind. They are very concerned about others and avoid arguments at all costs. Their character is gentle, and although they are excellent friends, they do not worry too much about their enemies. They are intuitive and capable of knowing in-depth the true nature of the people around them. Very sociable, and perhaps too cerebral in matters of love.

They live in harmony with: horse, snake, monkey, pig.

Conflicts arise with: Dragon, rooster