The Chinese have tended to have rather conflicting attitudes toward dogs. On the one hand, as is well known, in some places in China dogs are a source of meat--an idea that I know is most distressing to dog-lovers. Moreover, this penchant for eating dogs is not new in Chinese culture. Recently, I have been attempting to learn how to read classical Chinese--the written form of Chinese that dates back more than two and a half millennia. While reading a selection from the book known in English as the Mencius--which records the actions and sayings of the philosopher Mengzi (372-289 BC)--I noticed an off-hand reference to the raising of pigs, chickens, and dogs as a source of food. Apparently, the Chinese (or at least some of them) have been eating dog for a very long time. In more recent times, the Chinese Communist Party seems to have taken a rather negative attitude toward dogs, viewing dog ownership as socially problematic.
On the other hand, at least some Chinese are great dog lovers. I saw this quite clearly several years ago when I was living in Beijing and teaching at a local university. It seemed that every evening, usually around dusk, there would always be a large number of people walking their dogs around the campus. Apparently, this was a fairly recent phenomenon. I learned that until a few years before, dogs (as pets) were actually banned in Beijing. Then, the authorities began to consider the possibility of lifting the ban. It seems that some residents wanted to continue the ban, but others were anxious to be able to own a dog legally. As a compromise, it was decided that dogs would be allowed, but only dogs of a certain size. However, apparently there was no limit on the number of dogs one could own--I sometimes saw people with two or more dogs! Moreover, I'm not sure that everyone was complying with the size restriction--on at least one occasion I remember seeing someone with a huge dog!
In short, it could be said that the expression "a dog's life" has a number of possible interpretations in China. Nevertheless, perhaps in this Year of the Dog, "man's best friend" will be seen in a positive light in China.
Image of Chinese paper-cut from chinahighlights.com