Year of the Dog (Japanese Zodiac) Coloring Pages

Number 11! The animal that is the best friend of humans

The Year of the Dog (Japanese Zodiac) is the 11th symbol in the Japanese zodiac. It means the "dog" that everyone knows! Dogs have been human's best friends for a long time, and they are loyal and kind animals.

What kind of traits and symbolism?

Dogs have been seen as a sign of very good luck because they are loyal and great at protecting things!

• Loyalty and Trust: They are always loyal to their owners (humans) and never betray them, so they are seen as a symbol of trust and honesty.
• Protection and Easy Birth: Because dogs protect houses and families, they are a symbol of safekeeping and safety. Also, because they give birth easily, they are loved as a god of easy birth too.
• Hard Work and Effort: Because they work hard for their owners, people say they are also a symbol of hard work and effort.

Why Dogs Live with Humans

Since ancient times when humans still lived by hunting, dogs have played an important role by helping humans hunt and protecting homes as watchdogs.

• Pack members: Dogs see humans as members of their pack! They are full of love and are always gentle with you.

Personality traits of people born in the Year of the Dog (Japanese Zodiac)

People born in the Year of the Dog (Japanese Zodiac) are said to be loyal and kind just like a dog, and they love to help people in trouble.

• Loyalty and a sense of justice: You do not tell lies, and you are honest and true. You have a strong sense of justice, so you cannot ignore people in trouble.
• Hardworking and persistent: You have the tenacity to keep trying your best bit by bit toward your goals.
• Devoted and caring: You have a caring and devoted heart that treasures friends and family even more than yourself.

How to Choose Colors: Let’s use soft, gentle colors!

Body color of the dog: The dog in this picture has a curly tail and a nice, strong body, just like a Shiba Inu. Try picking colors that make you think of a Japanese dog!

• Shiba Inu Colors: Use brown (reddish-brown or yellowish-brown) as the main color. Color the belly, mouth area, and spots above the eyes with white or cream to make it look like a real Shiba Inu!
• Black Dog: Color it with dark black or dark brown, and make the belly gray. You will get a sharp, cool-looking dog!
• Your Favorite Colors: This dog is super cute! You do not have to use real dog colors. Use your favorite colors like pink or light blue to make it colorful! It is fun to show your own style!

Cherry blossoms and Torii gate in the background: Use festive colors that feel like spring.

• Cherry blossoms: If you color them using a mix of pink (dark pink, light pink) and white, they will look soft and pretty.
• Torii gate: You can find a torii gate at the entrance of a shrine. Traditional torii gates are often painted vermilion (an orange-red color) or wood colors (brown).

How to Color for a 3D Look: Let's Make the Fur Look Soft and Fluffy!

This picture of a dog has lots of fluffy lines around its body, arms, and legs. Use these lines to make it look super soft and fluffy! Shadowed places:

• Try adding "shadows" to places where light does not reach easily, such as under the chin, the base of the legs, and the inside of the tail, using a color a little darker than your main color.

Where the light hits: For places that catch a lot of light, like the top of the head or the middle of the back, try using bright colors or leaving some white spaces. This will make the fur look soft and fluffy!

Let’s Give It a Gentle Look!

Eyes: They have big, gentle dark eyes, so if you use black or dark brown and add a little white shine, they will look shiny and real! Colored pencils: To make them look fluffy, draw lots of short lines over each other and color in the direction of their fur!

Hints to enjoy your coloring page!

• Let's make it a spring coloring page!
  • If you lightly dab colors with the tip of your colored pencil to make the cherry blossom petals in the background look like they are dancing in the wind, it will feel just like spring!
• Try out some traditional Japanese colors!
  • If you color the shrine gate vermilion red, the dog brown, and the cherry blossoms pink using traditional Japanese colors (Wa no Iro), your picture will look even better!