The year of the Pig will be one of relaxation for the busy dog. Although you rarely allow yourself to slacken off, the pig year may force you to do just that as an antidote to stress and even you will have to admit that would prefer a less pressurized existence. Don’t resent taking time off: use this opportunity to enhance the more cultural, poetic side of your personality.

The wise Dog will stay out of the limelight during the year of the Rat. The overt materialism of this year will appall your finer feelings and offend your sense of justice, which means that it’s time to step back and allow the world you are as far away from it as possible.

Although the year of the Ox is all about hard work and striving for a worthy cause, the year’s prevailing sense of practicality has little time for the idealism of the Dog. You may be no stranger to effort, but your often revolutionary ideas will win no favor now. The best that you can do is to try to fit in and not to rock the boat, otherwise the powers-that-be will attempt to stifle you and may even punish your presumption.

In contrast to the year of the Ox, the year of the Tiger will welcome the Dog’s revolutionary zeal. In many ways the Dog and the Tiger are in tune, and for once the Dog will be happy with the fast and furious pace of events. Your usual need to be fought will bring you victory. Your usual skepticism is nowhere to be seen, however, so be careful about who you believe and don’t be led astray by flattery and wishful thinking.

The beginning of the year of the Hare will generally difficult for Dog personalities because there’ll be too much chasing around after things that simply won’t be caught! Force yourself to calm down, take a breather and try to adopt a more philosophical viewpoint. As the year progresses, you’ll be likely to find yourself acting in an advisory capacity, a well as prospering in the romantic stakes.

Dog personalities will have to toe the line during the year of the dragon – there’s no point in seeking the limelight because the dragon reserves centre-stage for himself alone. A prudent Dog will listen advice this year, there’ll be plenty of that and it will be sensible, too. Make sure that you remember it, because when you chance eventually comes you’d do well to apply the lessons that you’ve learned in order to maximize your advantage.

The dog will need to take care during the year of the Snake, when there are likely to be many upheavals and upsets. Nothing will be straightforward, with deception and half-truths being a recurring theme. It may go against the grain, but you will have to be assertive to avoid being ground down by arrogant individuals. Don’t be tempted to depart from the straight and narrow.

The year of the Horse will be full of minor worries, keeping the overly anxious Dog on its toes. Determination and self-confident are the keys to success, so do not waver or allow your doubts to overwhelm you. On a more positive note, your material fortunes will generally improve throughout this nerve-wracking year.