According to a widely held belief, those born in previous years of the Dog (including 1994 and 1982) might be in for a rough (ruff?) time this year — we're looking at you, Kate Middleton, Nicki Minaj, and Saoirse Ronan. "Generally, the year of your birth is known to be a more difficult year than others," Lau says, explaining that your birth year may present you with a string of bad luck or additional hardships. But, she adds that the sign of the Dog is so good-natured that you might fare better than other signs during their respective years. "Dogs tend to play well with one another," she says. "But it never hurts to be cautious and especially generous during your native year."