Astrology can be a useful tool in understanding your dog and meeting his or her needs, astrologers say. For example, if you have a Capricorn, you need to stick to schedules, Belshaw says. Or, if you have an Aquarius, consider owning more than one dog. "Astrology can help you go along with your dog's natural tendencies."
So let's get this straight. The position of Jupiter at the time a dog is born can help you understand your dog's personality? The theory has its critics.
"That's as plausible as, say, a dog's character being affected by the presence of a Boeing 747 somewhere over the world during the birth," says Andrew Fraknoi, an astronomer at Foothill College near San Francisco.
"One good way to get people to think about the validity of astrology is to suggest a similar 'science' not so weighed down with tradition and history," he sys. "I ask people to consider 'jetology,' which contends that the positions of all the world's jumbo jets at the moment a person is born affects their personality or destiny."
Scientific studies have proven astrologers have correct predictions about as often as those who guess at them. But astrology attracts believers because they seek guidance and are taken with the idea charts are created especially for them, Fraknoi says.
They also seem to want the same personal attention for their dogs, a dubious precedent if taken seriously, he says.
"The danger occurs when your dog is ill and, instead of taking it to a vet, you've taken it to an astrologer and they say, 'This is just the way a Gemini dog acts.' If you are a dog owner, should you follow a 3,000-year-old superstition or should you be getting advice from doctors, trainers and pet owners who have a lot of experience?"
Astrology has become more mainstream in the past 15 years, in part because of its popularity among celebrities. Baby boomers, interested in holistic therapies and the New Age, have embraced astrology's spiritual side. If you believe dogs are affected by the stars, pick up a book on astrology and apply the sun sign's characteristics to your dog.
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