DOG

The dog was one of the earliest animals to be domesticated by human, and is also the animal with the closest relationship to humans. Since the ancient times of fihing and hunting, people realised that domesticating the dog would help him working, capturing prey, guarding homes, protecting farmland, herding and patrolling mountains, etc. Dogs are not only human's closest companions, they are also recognised as the most loyal. A dog's loyalty to its owner has earned the trust of humans from the start. The dog is the eleventh in the Chinese zodiac and its corresponding earthly branch is “Xu”.

Speaking of guard dogs, take a look at the two-stamp souvenir sheet issued by Canada Post in 2006. The designer took inspiration from the Kylin Dogs statues that guard the doors to traditional Chinese temples, highlighting the dog's extremely loyalty and reliability as a guardian. The images on the two stamps are of a father dog sitting alone, on high alert, and a mother dog and puppies nestled together. However, on the booklet for the Year of the Dog in 2018, stamp designer decided instead to feature the dogs inside red lanterns, in another warm and festive scene.

The Year of the Dog stamps issued by Korea Post at the end of 2017, intended to convey expectations for peace and happiness in the coming year. A set of two stamps is each on its own interesting. One of them depicts different types of dogs in a cartoon style, while the other one shows a glittering dog jumping excitedly among the snowflakes. The Hungarian Post issued Chinese zodiac stamps for the Year of the Dog in 2018. There are two sets of two stamps on the miniature sheet. Each stamp has "Year of the Dog" written in Chinese and Hungarian. Although they are in different color combinations, all express the dynamics of dogs in the form of paper cuts. The same year, Åland Post also issued a miniature sheet, with the image of two dogs waiting under the red doors and windows, designed by Martin Morck, one of the the world's leading stamp engraving and plate-making masters, his works rich in layers and expressions.

Kyrgyzstan Express Post issued a miniature sheet of Year of the Dog stamps in 2018. This is the first time that the country’s postal service has issued Chinese zodiac stamps. The image of the blue and gold stamp features the constellation Canis Major. There is a tab with the Chinese words "Year of the Dog" printed on it, and the words "Happy New Year" in multiple languages are also printed on the margin.

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