The Dog is the eleventh animal among the twelve Chinese zodiac animals in the Chinese horoscope. The rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog , and boar rotate annually.
In ancient China, it was believed that people would have the characteristics of the element and the animal that ruled the year of their birth just as modern astrologists believe that people born under a certain sign of the zodiac will have common characteristics. The dog is associated with benevolence and good fortune. There is a Chinese proverb that says if a strange dog follows you home, your house will be blessed with prosperity.
According to legends in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year . Twelve animals came, and Buddha named a year after each one of them. He told that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality.
People born in the Chinese New Year of the Dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog people are also somewhat selfish, stubborn and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. Dog s are compatible with those born in the Year of the Horse, Tiger and Rabbit.
Interesting about dogs in Chinese proverbs
Having dogs as pets or friends has a very short history in China. Dogs were used mainly for protecting properties, hunting and threatening people in Chinese history. They are normally big, strong and not cute at all. Rich people have dogs. With dogs, they have their body and wealth protected and they can attack poor people. From the rich perspective, dogs are surely loyal and friendly. Form the most people perspective, dogs live a life of helping evils. That's why there are many proverb, slangs and idioms with bad dogs.
Now Chinese people love dogs. You can see many dog pets in cities. However, that cannot change the negative images of dogs in those slangs and idioms. If you ask a Chinese born in dog year to come up with three nice proverbs with dogs, I bet it's like a mission impossible. Anyway, people in dog years don't care about that, because now days among the 12 animals, dog is the closest friend in our daily life. People love dogs.
Dogs are loyal
Hey the dogs in chinese means that the people born in the year of the dog will take the good attributes of a dog such a being loyal, and friendly etc. It is not an inferior animal.
I never heard that proverb.
There are many chinese proverb and idiom have "dog". However, most of them have bad meanings. Like '???','????',etc. I have a feeling that in Chinese culture, dog implies an inferior animal.