Chinese zodiac · Year of the Dog
The Metal Dog: 1970, 2030, 2090
庚戌 · Geng xū · Yang Metal stem on the Earth branch
A Metal Dog year pairs the Heavenly Stem 庚 (Geng, yang Metal) with the Earthly Branch 戌 (xū, the Dog). The pair recurs every sixty years, so in the range AsterNym covers the Metal Dog years are 1970, 2030, 2090. The animal is the same each time; the stem is what makes a Metal Dog different from a Wood Dog or a Fire Dog. The popular zodiac begins each of these years at Lunar New Year and BaZi begins it at Li Chun, so both boundaries are given below for every year.
What a Metal Dog is like
Popular Chinese zodiac tradition. For reflection, not prediction.
The Metal Dog is the most uncompromising, principled to the bone and not easily talked round.
1970 Metal Dogs are the most uncompromising of the five, principled to the bone and not easily talked round.
In BaZi terms the Earth branch feeds the Metal stem: Earth produces Metal in the generating cycle. Practitioners read the year as the Dog giving its strength upward, so the stem element is well resourced and the animal's own qualities are somewhat spent in the giving. Productive, and a little tiring for the Dog.
The rest of the Dog’s character, in love, at work and the growing edge, is on the Year of the Dog page.
Metal Dog years and when each begins
The popular zodiac year begins at Lunar New Year; BaZi begins it at Li Chun, the start of spring. Both dates are given so a birth between them can be placed in either system.
| Year | Lunar New Year (popular zodiac) | Ends | Li Chun (BaZi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6 February 1970 | 26 January 1971 | 4 February 1970 |
| 2030 | 3 February 2030 | 22 January 2031 | 4 February 2030 |
| 2090 | outside the table | … | 3 February 2090 |
The next Metal Dog year is 2030. Check any birthday against the boundary with the finder.
Famous Metal Dogs
Public birth records, assigned by the Lunar New Year boundary.
Common questions
- When does the Year of the Metal Dog start?
- The 1970 Metal Dog year began at Lunar New Year on 6 February 1970 and ran to 26 January 1971. The 2030 Metal Dog year began at Lunar New Year on 3 February 2030 and ran to 22 January 2031. 2090 is outside AsterNym's Lunar New Year table. BaZi turns the year at Li Chun instead (1970: 4 February 1970; 2030: 4 February 2030; 2090: 3 February 2090), so a birth between the two dates carries different year animals in the two systems.
- What is a Metal Dog personality?
- The Metal Dog is the most uncompromising, principled to the bone and not easily talked round. In BaZi terms the Earth branch feeds the Metal stem: Earth produces Metal in the generating cycle. Practitioners read the year as the Dog giving its strength upward, so the stem element is well resourced and the animal's own qualities are somewhat spent in the giving. Productive, and a little tiring for the Dog.
- When is the next Metal Dog year?
- 2030. The pair of stem 庚 and branch 戌 recurs every sixty years.