I was recently asked by Mother.ly my thoughts on the personality of babies born during this Earth Dog year of 2018. Some of my answers made it to this article: What does it mean for babies to be born in the Year of the Dog? There are many points that didn’t still, and so I wanted to offer you on my blog a full article on the personality of Yang Earth Dog babies.
What does it mean to have a baby born in the Year of the Dog?
We first need to define when exactly is this year of the Dog. The beginning of the Chinese year is this time celebrated on the 16th of February 2018. This date is based on the lunar calendar. The solar date is however the one taken for astrology and Feng Shui calculations; for the solar calendar, the year of the Dog started on February the 4th. For Chinese astrology, the year of the Earth Dog therefore goes from the 4th of February 2018 to the 3rd of February 2019 (included).
This means that:
- Any baby born between the 4th of February 2018 and the 3rd of February 2019 is under the Earth Dog sign.
- Any baby born from the 1st of January to the 4th of February 2018 is still under the Fire Rooster sign
Where does this Earth Dog sign come from? In Western astrology the zodiac is based on specific constellations in the sky. This is not the case with the Chinese zodiac. The 12 Chinese signs actually represent the orbit of Jupiter, which takes roughly 12 years to be completed. Jupiter is one of the most important planets for Chinese astrology and is also used in Feng Shui to determine a sector to not be disturbed every year. This 12 years orbit determines 12 influences of Jupiter on Earth; one per year. Those energies became the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. Each animal is then basically a code representing the energy influencing us on Earth for that year. And so a baby born under the year of the Earth Dog is taking in this very specific energy at birth, which in return influences his personality and destiny.
Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/madcitycat/
What are the primary personality traits of babies born in the Year of the Dog?
The first trait of babies born during this year of the Dog will be determination. The Yang Earth Dog defining this year brings the image of a strong mountain. This “rocky nature” represents great resilience and determination. The Yang Earth of this year 2018 also amplifies another quality of the Dog, which is faithfulness. Those babies will later on makes solid friends and people who always watch one’s back. Above all they will be very attached to their family and where they come from. The Yang Earth Dog babies will then be children with a real sense of moral duties toward others.
The drawback in their personality is their stubbornness. Expect those kids to be very opinionated when their personality develop, and to not take no for an answer. There will be some negotiating with their parents later on: that is for sure! They will also be on a different pace than most kids: far from being the now common hyperactive type, they will like to take in things slowly. The Earth Dog babies are in no rush to do anything: it is better to adapt to their rhythm early on.
Those babies will therefore display the pros and cons of this Yang Earth, mountain-like nature: they will be rock for others to rely on, but also very obstinate unless you understand how they work and how to negotiate with them.
Are the personality traits different for Earth Dogs?
How does the Earth Dog compare to other type of Dog signs? For Chinese, the universal energy takes 5 different phases, called the 5 Elements. There is a Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water Dog. The Earth Dog has the strongest, most determined and resilient personality of all Dogs signs. It is actually the most stable of all Dog signs. Both boys and girls born as Yang Earth Dog should be strong and love being in the outdoors. Boys are later likely to be attracted to physical sports (think along the line of rugby and wrestling), while girls could be into hiking and studying nature. All Earth Dogs should be very attached to their family and the place where they grow.
As for the other Dog types: the Wood Dog is very creative and has a special connection with nature. The Metal Dog thinks a lot, and is an avid talker that blossom through social contacts. The Water Dog can be hectic for a while and then sleep for hours, and has a very rich inner world.
There is much more to their individual personalities however. What is important to understand is how Chinese astrology really works. Each year of birth brings one of the twelve animals, and one of the five Elements. This combination is called a Pillar.
For Chinese astrology, all babies born during this Chinese year have the Yang Earth Dog as their year of birth Pillar. This is what people talk about when saying: “I am a Dog, I am a Snake, I am a Tiger etc.” Each of us however also has three other Pillars: they are our month, day and time of birth. Each Pillar is made of a different Element + animal combination, determined by our exact date of birth. Of course all those Pillars interact with each other, and bring different personalities, skills, challenges and destiny altogether…
To give you an example: for this Chinese year only, there are thousands charts possible with all the same year of birth! This advanced form of Chinese astrology is logically called the Four Pillars of destiny, also known as the Bazi.
So, there are different type of Earth Dog personalities determined by their complete chart and their Four Pillars altogether. It is true however that the sign of the year of birth greatly influences the period from birth to teenagehood. Therefore all babies born as Earth Dog have common personality traits displayed during their childhood.
Who are Dogs most compatible with? Less compatible?
The Dogs are most compatible with the Tiger and the Horse. They form a “cosmic trinity” known as the frame of the Fire Element. They literally complete each other energy and form a great team together. This means that for baby born during this Dog year, they should get along very well with their siblings born in 2014 (year of the Horse) and 2010 (year of the Tiger).
The Dog also has an interesting relation with the Rabbit (born in 2011). They like each other energy, but can be mischievous together and also display outburst of anger. Expect them to a handful if they are siblings, but to also deeply care for one another.
The Dog is the opposite of the Dragon sign (2012). Their personality clash with each other, but they can still be friends and get along in the same family: it really depends on the rest of their 4 Pillars. In any case the Dog has more influence on the Dragon than the other way around, and can “shut it down” once in a while. The Dragon perceive the Dog as down to earth and lacking imagination…
The Dog is otherwise a bit wary of the Goat (or Sheep, born in 2015) and of the Ox (born in 2009). Both signs can be bad advisors pushing the Dog to misbehave. However there is no animosity between them and they can usually find some common ground.
Finally the Dog also likes the Rooster (born in 2016), which helps him to communicate better and to think more easily.
Pic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maiac/
What will their career look like?
To advise on the career of babies born in the year of the earth Dog, we really need to see and understand the rest of their chart. Their year of birth brings a very strong Earth Element, but the rest of their astrology can change that direction later on. Based on their year of birth only, they can be interested in the following careers. Archaeology, museology, and anything that has to do with “digging the past” will probably fascinate them. The connection with the earth also means that they could be interested in landscaping, gardening, as well as farming. They will make wonderful artisans, especially ceramists and potters. Architecture is a strong possibility: natural buildings and biomimicry are likely to attract them. Logistic, real estate, tourism and travel industries are also possible. Some Earth Dogs will feel like healing others through manual therapies such as osteopathy and massages.
The most difficult for them might be to teach or to get involved with politics, which they are likely to despise. Overall they will look for strong stability in their career rather than endless adventure, and will want material safety. They are gregarious and sedentary, and can be compared to the Taurus in Western astrology.
What advice do you have for parents who have been born in a year that’s incompatible with Dogs? How should they work at their relationship with their kid?
Do not be too worried about having a clash of personality with your baby born in the year of the Dog. For example, if you are born in 1976 or 1988, you are a Dragon and your baby is a Dog: both are opposite and clashing with each other. However the rest of your Bazi/4 Pillars can still combine very harmoniously. The Earth Dog is actually a sign that is not easily destabilised, and the only aspect that could be difficult is to face their real stubbornness at times. What follows are pieces of advise to help them truly blossom.
I highly recommend encouraging all manual activities. The Earth Dog babies want to know the world through their sense of touch, which could be the most important for them. Approaches that are too heavily intellectual destabilise them; they need to feel physically before they can conceptualise. This is why they can be great artisan later on. The best manual activities for those babies are to play in sandpit and be in the dirt. The will also love Lego and constructing things – including their own small houses where they can hide to feel secure. At a later age, playing with play-do and then real clay will be great for them. Cooking might also be something they take a real interest on. Don’t force those kids to do sports they don’t want to do – as it would only create frustration. However, make sure they spend enough time in the outdoors, which benefit them. The contact with animals is highly recommended and having pets is really good for them: dogs, ponies and rabbits are the best. Those kids also need to be reassured that they are loved, as their family and friends are everything to them. Best is to encourage group activities.
Finally when facing their stubborn nature, try to not force them to do anything. Let them be for a while and come around by themselves. Their loyalty and deep love for their family means that their anger toward others will never last long.
What are somethings parents should keep in mind about babies born during the Dog year?
What parents must understand about their babies born during the Dog year is that they have their own pace. They are not kids whom you can force to do anything: there are too stubborn for this. So you must let them understand and experience things under their own terms. The best advice is to not ask them to do things fast: this is when you lose them. Having too much travelling during their childhood can be confusing to them, and those kids better stay more at home during the first two years. They might later on benefit from a schooling system that encourage manual activities and do not judge children, and rather let them evolve, as they want. Strict rules and a severe education is not what they need. Parents of those babies should aim at teaching them that the world is not just black and white.
Those babies will otherwise be very curious when it comes to food, and one of the best advice is to stimulate all their senses: touch, smell, taste, hearing etc. as often as possible.
Those kids need to feel very safe at home which is their haven. Expect them to be following you very closely for the first years, and to crave attention. As they get older, they will want to build their own kid house and have a shelter when they can be. Give them plenty of token of your love, and they will blossom.
If you want to understand the whole personality and life potential of your baby, I invite you to look into a personalised Bazi report for your child.