Since I love both dogs and astrology, it was logical for me to apply one to the other, although such application was never taught, or, come to think of it, remotely encouraged in any of my astrological studies. However, neither was it discouraged since the subject never came up. So, innocent that I was, when friends years ago sought astrological advice about their problem Corgi (that story is told later in this article), I happily complied and that started the whole thing.

Applying astrology to dogs I have known has been revealing and entertaining. My current line-up consists of two Australian Cattle Dogs. The male, a Capricorn, snarls at the female, and she, being an Aries, pretty much blows him off, reminiscent of my first marriage which involved the same sign-gender relationship. Only the dogs work it out better than we did, due to pack position. I acknowledged no such principle.

When applying astrology to dogs, it’s important to first consider the nature of the species. Born with instincts to guide their survival, there is little evidence that dogs are aware of their consciousness as we humans are, concerned with their origins, the meaning of existence, or realizing their potentials. They are primarily interested in being safe, fed regularly, knowing where they are in pack order, and having opportunities to cavort with other dogs. We humans are included in that last category. Breed is also a critical determinate since many behavior patterns come from a breed’s genetic code.

But let’s stay in context here and not go overboard. I’m a little skittish around Pit Bulls, and I don’t think I’d feel much better about one knowing it was a Pisces. But I, who see life through an astrological lens, have found it is helpful and enriching to know the astrological traits and expressions of dogs sharing my home with me. Aren’t we far more tuned into members of our pack (we may as well start getting into this) than we are to some stray or cur we pass on the street?

Regardless of what I wrote in the Sagittarius dog section to follow, I would never rule out a dog due to sign. My husband and I don’t do puppies, we get our dogs from rescue sources. We simply choose the dog we fall in love with, as we did with each other, and then live with the carnage to come, also as we did with each other. (This time it worked out.)

I’ve derived such fun and richness from canine astrology. So I’m going to take you on a quick romp through the zodiacal dog pack for brief descriptions of how dogs from each Sun sign behave and hope it benefits your inter-species relationships. Let’s go off leash and get started.

Aries: The Aries dog likes to be first-first to eat, first through the pet door, first to grab the toy. If the Aries dog is not first in pack order, it will have to be reminded repeatedly by the dog who is; but the Aries will accept it. After all, it is a dog.

Entering most situations like heat-seeking artillery, the Aries dog will be both intelligent and instinctive, a combination which will serve to drive you nuts. The dog is obviously smart, you say. Why, then, won’t it leave those skunks alone!

The Aries dog will get frequent, intense missile lock on something. It can be distracted if you assert your mastery properly. Though pointedly fixed for concentrated periods of time (just think of a toddler), this is not a stubborn dog. It will indulge repeatedly in one annoying habit for a while and then move on to an equally annoying one. Does the Aries dog stop doing these things because of your firm and consistent correction? No. Since this sign doesn’t learn well from experience, this dog just gets bored and moves on to something else.

Your Aries dog will be maddeningly childlike, and you’ll alternate between wanting to chase it around the house with the fire poker and lavishing it with loving hugs. It needs diversion so it’s a good idea to have another dog. Remember-a tired Aries dog is a good Aries dog.

Taurus: Are we surprised? This dog is stubborn. This is not a crabby, cantankerous dog. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Rather even-tempered with only an occasional tendency to sulk, there is little about the Taurus dog that’s unpredictable. As the first sign to manifest energy into the physical world, the Taurus dog usually manifests itself in a comfortable place. You can just hear it thinking, “Good food, good human dogs for pets, soft bed inside the house.” Unless so inclined by breed or a companion dog with drifter tendencies (see Sagittarius dog), this is not a dog prone to wandering. If it does, and most dogs will given the chance, it will be back. It’s too much work to hunt up a meal and warm bed when all those are waiting at home.

The Taurus dog will probably be a little thicker about the neck than others of its breed,. It may be thicker all over as it has a tendency to get fat, and definitely thick in the head. My vet has a Taurus dog he got after it flunked out of guide dog training for being too stubborn to take commands.

This is an affable, affectionate, loyal companion, and wonderful watch dog-as long as the intruder doesn’t bring food. Just don’t expect the Taurus dog to get off the dime readily when you want it to. But that doesn’t mean you should give up trying!

Gemini: If you want a dog like the one in those scotch commercials that languishes at its master’s feet, lying contentedly in front of a fire for hours, then under no circumstances get a Gemini dog. Oh, this dog will be at your feet-for a second before it bounds over your head and then crashes into a lamp on the way to the couch, where it will launch somewhere else. It has two speeds-fast and dead.

Post signs: KEEP MY GEMINI DOG OCCUPIED! A bored Gemini dog is a potential terrorist. We have friends who put a new rattan chair in the room their Gemini dog has access to when no one is home. It was a nice chair with arms and everything. When they got home, it was a pile of sticks.

Tending to be slightly longer legged and more rangy than is standard for the breed, the Gemini dog may be a little thinner than other dogs. Not that it doesn’t like food, but the Mercury influence here (and in Virgo) can produce a nervousness that keeps weight off.

Your Gemini dog will be very verbal, the doggy version being woofs and strange crooning sounds. You can have a lot of fun talking to your Gemini dog in its language and yours. It’s bilingual, you know.

Cancer: The Cancer dog is a sweet, sweet dog. It’s also sneaky, which is how the Cancer quality of indirectness in humans is often expressed in dogs. What it’s chiefly sneaky about is food. Not dog food, mind you, you probably won’t have to lock that up, but if you have any chocolates around put them above the high water mark. This dog is a glutton for sweets.

The Cancer dog is no breakout artist. It loves its home and can be more sensitive to its physical environment than other signs. While other dogs forgive you for boarding them when you go on a trip, this dog can punish you for days.

The Cancer dog will be rounder than other dogs of its breed and may tend to be quite barrel-chested. Characteristic of the crustacean Cancer is named for, this dog can move just as fast sideways and backwards as it can forward. Keep this in mind if you’re trying to corral it off leash, especially if it has an audience. While its polar opposite, the Capricorn dog, hates to be humiliated, this dog seems to take delight in embarrassing you in public-sometimes.

Sometimes. That’s the key word here. Your Cancer dog will be your devoted, constant companion, sometimes. It will greet you lovingly at the door, sometimes. Even though it may be washing in the tides of its moods sometimes, be assured your Cancer dog loves you all times.

Leo: The Leo dog is so full of the Sun’s radiant energy it practically glows in the dark. Leo dogs collect followers the way some people collect Beanie Babies. They don’t seem to do much to attract this attention except just be. You may feel a need to keep the Leo dog well groomed, but that’s your need not the dog’s. This dog could be covered in bear grease and wouldn’t care much, it is that confident of its blinding radiations.

The Leo dog is subject to dramatics when things aren’t going its way. When our Leo dog wanted to go for a walk and we didn’t hop to, it would plant itself in front of one of us, deliberately position one paw at a time and theatrically sigh. Repeatedly. When punishment is imminent, no matter how mild, the Sara Bernhardt competitions begin. No matter what the response, it will be a performance worthy of a Tony.

This dog will look furrier than others of its breed, especially around the head and neck. Exuding star quality, humble in its acceptance of adorations given, it’s a natural for the show ring, if you’re into that sort of thing. But beware, the Leo dog may not relish all the work showing demands.

Occasionally it will look around, confused, as if to say, “where’s the band?” That’s a sign you need to pay homage.

Virgo: Order is an operating principle of this sign, and order in humans is chiefly expressed mentally. In dogs, however, order is physical. Since it can’t e-mail detailed memos of procedures, a Virgo dog may be a touch more aggressive than one would initially think. It will also be busy.

While the Mercury influence on the Gemini dog serves to produce a dog on a trampoline, in Virgo Mercury’s influence produces a different kind of movement. The Virgo dog may be more of a pacer. Like a sentry it will patrol the perimeters of your house and yard. Everything and everybody in their places, you know.

The Virgo dog may have a tendency to some digestive problems. These aren’t usually indicators of illness but when these upsets occur you may need to take special care with its food and also pay it lots of attention to calm it down.

The Virgo dog likes to be high up on things. (This principle is explained by Virgo’s relationship to the Hermit card in Tarot and the Hebrew letter yod in Qabalah.) Height is a relative thing. The back of a couch will do,all the better to keep its eyes on things, particularly you. Many dogs attach themselves like Velcro to their humans, following them everywhere. This dog follows you, too, but not quite as closely. It can’t keep its eyes fixed on you if its directly underfoot, now can it. It likes to look you in your eyes. Make sure you are able to stare it down occasionally.

Libra: The Libra dog is the dog in the scotch commercial, at least in the faithfulness department. The Taurus dog, on the other hand, could fill in for the part about the hours spent at its master’s feet because it likes to lie in one place, digesting. After all, both signs are Venus ruled.

Even if your Libra dog weighs 120 pounds it will be graceful as it bounds onto the couch, where it is not supposed to be, to sit next to you or a guest. (It’s not particular which one. All members of the pack are important.)

“On the floor?” It asks with its eyes in astonishment. “Me?” (incredulously) “But I’m one of you!”

And therein lies the problem. It is not one of you and you’d better remind it of that fact unless you want to wear this dog in every situation.

The Libra dog is archetypal dog, from a human perspective-limpid eyes, slobberingly devotional, unwavering in its fondness for its master, no matter what a toad he or she may be. This dog is no wuss, however. Don’t be surprised when your Libra dog becomes archetypal dog from a dog’s perspective-territorial at all costs and fiercely protective. It is on the axis with Aries, and don’t you forget that. It won’t.

Scorpio: This 8th house Scorpio thing about other people’s resources and possessions gets somewhat muddled in the mind of a Scorpio dog. It thinks that what belongs to it belongs to it and what belongs to you belongs to it. Straighten it out right away. Practice taking things away from it, that and other exercises that demonstrate you are the alpha dog, the grand pooh-bah around your kennel.

The Scorpio dog will tend to be somewhat thicker and shorter than others of its breed. It will be fiercely protective of both you and your home, and is another dog not particularly prone to wander.

Now here’s the hard part for the human doggy parents of the Scorpio dog. This dog will be exceedingly magnetic and charming-to you. Don't expect friends and other visitors to share in your devotions. Chances are, they will be blinded to your Scorpio dog’s charms, because it doesn’t show them to anyone else but you.

If you acquire your Scorpio dog when it’s an adult, it may take it a little longer than normal for it to warm up to you. Don’t give up. It’s watching and studying you. The Scorpio loyalty test is used by Scorpio dogs too, and as with their human counterparts, God knows what that test is, but you will know when you have passed it.

Sagittarius: In places where yards are fenced, it’s easy to spot the house with a Sagittarius dog. It will be the one with strange amendments woven into the fabric of the fence-lawn chairs, pieces of plywood, patio tables. This dog is an escape artist. When the Archer sends its arrows high in flight, it’s not bothered by such trivial distinctions as containment within quarter acre lots.

We once had a Sagittarius dog who regularly managed to escape our yard. She even tunneled under a concrete/chicken wire ploy we buried under the fence line, not deeply enough obviously. The Post Office notified us if we didn’t contain that dog we would never have mail delivered again. They can do that-we checked! When discussing the problem with my vet I blurted out, “I’ll never get another Sagittarius dog.”

“Why?” he asked, startled.

“Because they don’t accept the concept of fence,” I explained.

“I know,” he sighed. “I’m a Sagittarius.”

For all its roaming tendencies, ironically this dog can be very territorial. However, once guests get in the door it will be very social and engaging, even if it is a little casual about the rules. And like its human counterpart, the Sagittarius dog is the clown of the zodiac. It’s also quite an athlete, as will you be from all the running after it you’ll be doing. You’ll get quite a few chuckles from this dog’s antics.

Capricorn: Capricorns, regardless of species, retreat to psychological caves from which we who love them must periodically drag them. Your Capricorn dog needs far more attention than it outwardly indicates to you. If you have other dogs, your Capricorn will dutifully give them center stage. (Not all the time-after all, this is a dog.) If it’s an only dog, it still won’t seek out attention as much as other dogs. You think it’s just being the well-behaved, mannered dog it is, but it’s probably depressed.

The Capricorn dog cries out to be played with, which is hard to believe when it often imitates a lump of furry granite. Make sure it has lots of toys. You’ll see a dog transformed if you daily take the time to play with it.

Let’s get back to that well-behaved, mannered part. The Capricorn dog, more than any other, understands rules and wants to know what they are. Why? Because it intends to break them when it’s to its advantage to do so. This dog always knows which side of the law it’s on, and you’d better learn all the subtle signs-the stare, the skulk-indicating it is about to become an outlaw. No one is more embarrassed than the Capricorn dog when busted. You can just hear it muttering, “Damn.”

This dog instantly knows the right people to suck up to and may ignore those not worthy of its attention. It bows to power (are we surprised) and judges this power by the expression of Mars energy in people or other dogs. Make sure you are real clear with this dog that you are the pack leader.

Preserve your Capricorn dog’s dignity, it increases trust points. That doesn’t mean you don’t correct it when behavior warrants it. It understands that. But if it has embarrassed itself by doing something clumsy and you have laughed at it, be prepared to apologize. The ball is in your court on this one.

Aquarius: Your Aquarius dog will regularly look at you in surprised discovery-oh, there you are-even though neither of you has gone anywhere, physically that is. Like its human counterpart, the Aquarius dog’s mind goes God knows where, but it goes.

While in humans the Leo end of this polarity tends towards vanity, in dogs vanity appears to lodge in Aquarius. The Aquarius dog positively struts after being groomed. I used to put a twisted tri-strand of pearls around our Aquarius Doberman’s sleek black neck at parties. She would arch her neck, positively prance and go to every guest for compliments.

This same dog would go into our yard and dig deep meandering trenches connecting only the avocado trees. I was concerned, but my husband assured me this was normal behavior. Since he’s an Aquarius how would he know?

An electric temper lies under the Aquarius dog’s surface mildness, not directed at people but other animals. When being introduced to a new animal, like a kitten, it will appear to calmly accept several swipes to the nose. Look out. At the next one, it can erupt with no apparent warning and that’s not good.

It will be friendly to all people its owners have admitted to the house, but requires periods of being left alone by you and other dogs. Let it have that. You’ll all be the better for it.

Pisces:. When I was first learning astrology, some friends were interested in what I could tell them about their new Corgi. They had bought her to show. Unfortunately, no one told this to the dog. She wasn’t the least bit interested in their plans. She cowered in the show ring, ears flat with tail tucked between her legs, not much of a judge pleaser. She was also becoming increasingly nervous at home. An astrological novice, even I could see the problem--a stellium in Pisces, including the Sun.

I explained that even though in humans this may be a great sign for actors, it generally wasn’t the best for dogs expected to excel in competition. Since they wanted additional dogs, I suggested a Leo. Let the Pisces be the pet. That’s what they did. Their little Leo puppy was, what else, a real charmer who was to win many prizes. The Pisces, with the pressure off, went back to being a wonderful sweetheart of a dog.

That’s what you get with a Pisces, a sweetheart of a dog. This dog wants to be close, close to you and other dogs. Unless characteristic of the breed, don’t expect a fierce watchdog.

A Pisces dog feels the pull of ancient tides and can . . .well, there’s no other way to say it . . . gets lost without leaving the yard. If it becomes fearful or nervous, then as Shakespeare more or less said in Julius Caesar, the fault lies not in the stars, but in you.

I think that’s a good concluding thought.

© 1998 Deborah Smith Parker

Deborah Parker astrologer, poet, essayist and humorist

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