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  • February 13, 2024
  • 1 min read

Celebrating the Year of the Dragon & Chinese Dog Breeds - The Symbol of Power and Strength

Happy Chinese New Year! Chinese New Year is celebrated on Saturday February 10th this year and has a long and unique history. Now you may be wondering, why is BARF World touching on the topic of Chinese New Year? 

One of the animals that is represented in the Chinese Zodiac is a dog and there are a lot of well known breeds that are from Chinese descent. The Chinese zodiac uses animals to represent each of their well known zodiac signs: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, pig, and dog. 

This year is the year of the dragon. Each of these animals has unique qualities. This year, one of the major qualities that the dragon represents is power & strength (Wang, 2024). The Chinese new year is a special part of history and each animal represents certain years throughout history. Check out the link below to learn more about the previous years of the dragon and significant events that have occurred. 

This differs from what is commonly known as western astrology, which is based upon a zodiac sign for every month(comment down below what you and your pets zodiac sign is). These include: aries, taurus, gemini, cancer, leo, virgo, libra, scorpio, sagittarius, capricorn, aquarius and pisces (Bell, 2023). Not only does the Chinese New Year represent a unique and special history, there are also a range of well known pet breeds today that are from Chinese descent.
Smiling pug looking into the camera

Dog breeds

The two breeds I am going to discuss and are arguably the most well known that are from a Chinese descent are Pug & Shih Tzu. One of our own brand ambassadors, Turbo, is a Shih Tzu. He is primarily white & gray and has an outgoing personality. He loves to come to the office and play with the other brand ambassadors and his brother Gizmo. 

They make a great addition to any family. They were originally bred to bark and alert. However, the Chinese court over time shifted away from this and they became what they are known for today as being a great companion (History of Shih Tzu. NorthStar Shih Tzu Rescue, 2024). They are truly an incredible breed with such a special history behind them. 

In addition to Shih Tzus, Pugs are also of Chinese Descent. The pug resembles the ancient Chinese mythical creature, the Fu Dog. While Pugs can come in a variety of colors, most people will come across black and brownish tan color pugs.  Both Shih Tzus and pugs are smaller breeds. In my personal experience, I have never come across a pug who wasn't sweet and loving and much like a Shih Tzu, they are a perfect addition to any family.

If you or anyone you know has a Pug or a Shih Tzu or a dog from Chinese descent we would love to see pictures and hear your favorite thing about them! Please send over any pictures of your fur baby to info@barfworld.com. 

References: 

Bell, M. (2023, December 29). Do you know the differences between the Chinese zodiac and western astrology?. Cosmic Fusion. https://www.cosmicfusion.app/post/do-you-know-the-differences-between-the-chinese-zodiac-and-western-astrology#:~:text=While%20the%20Western%20zodiac%20is,born%2C%20rather%20than%20the%20month 

History of Shih Tzu. NorthStar Shih Tzu Rescue. (2024). https://nsstr.rescuegroups.org/info/display?PageID=14974  

Wang, B. (2024, February 6). A complete visual guide to the year of the dragon 2024. South China Morning Post. https://multimedia.scmp.com/infographics/culture/article/3250661/year-of-the-dragon/index.html#:~:text=It%20represents%20positive%20qualities%20such,such%20as%20wind%20and%20water.

Isabelle Manley

Isabelle Manley

Isabelle started with the BARF World® team in the summer of 2020. She is a Junior at GCU in Phoenix, Arizona. She is our newest Raw Pet Food Specialist. Isabelle assists in product research, marketing ads and ongoing marketing projects. She enjoys music and hanging out with her friends. She has 6 siblings, 2 half siblings, a cat named Poppy, and a dog named Jax, who are Brand Ambassadors for BARF® World.

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