Color the Dog

The Dog is the eleventh animal in the Chinese zodiac, and its place in the Great Race shows just how much it loves to play. In the legend, the Dog was one of the best swimmers of all and could have finished much sooner. But the river water felt so cool and fun that the Dog stopped to splash and bathe along the way. After its happy swim, the Dog finally shook itself off and trotted across the line in eleventh place.

People born in the Year of the Dog are loyal, friendly, and honest. A Dog is the kind of friend who always sticks by your side, looks out for others, and can be trusted to do the right thing.

When you color your Dog, look at the soft, friendly shapes in the design. They come from jianzhi (剪纸), the Chinese art of paper-cutting, where artists snip cheerful patterns from folded paper for the new year. Try warm tans, browns, and creamy whites for the fur, then add a red border, the color of loyalty and good luck in China.