What year comes before the Year of the Dog? - briefly
The Year of the Dog is preceded by the Year of the Rooster.
What year comes before the Year of the Dog? - in detail
In the Chinese zodiac, each year is associated with one of twelve animals in a repeating cycle. The Year of the Dog is preceded by the Year of the Rooster. This sequence is based on a traditional story where the Jade Emperor invited all the animals to a meeting. The order in which they arrived determined their position in the zodiac cycle, with the rat arriving first and the pig last. The rooster came before the dog, hence the Year of the Rooster precedes the Year of the Dog. This cycle repeats every twelve years, so if one is aware of the current year in the Chinese zodiac, they can easily determine which animal's year comes next or before.