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Elder Scrolls

For other uses, see Dog.
"Most of the dogs in Skyrim are domesticated, and serve as faithful companions to their Nord masters."
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Dogs are domesticated animals found throughout Skyrim, usually owned by individuals who live close by. They can also be found in the company of bandits.

Behavior[]

If a dog's owner is hostile towards the Dragonborn, the dog will likewise be hostile. If the owner is passive, the dog is docile unless it is attacked. They are sources of dog meat. They can make decent followers.

The dogs of Skyrim are seemingly a different breed from those in Oblivion, as can be witnessed by their different appearance. There is a bounty for attacking an owned dog that can be as low as 5 Gold.

Followers[]

See also: Followers (Skyrim)

Strays[]

Main article: Stray Dog

Dogs will do nothing until they are activated. Dogs can be befriended, making them useful followers. They will follow the Dragonborn until they are told to return home or wait at the current location. When sitting, they will bark occasionally. Talking to Banning who lives outside of Markarth will give you the option to buy a dog.

Named dogs[]

Trivia[]

  • As of Dawnguard, there is another breed of dog in Skyrim, while before there was only one.
  • Owned dogs can be dismissed back to the Dragonborn's house with Hearthfire installed. The Dragonborn must adopt a child who, through a random event, will ask if they can keep the dog. If the Dragonborn agrees, then the dog will stay at the house after being dismissed.
  • Just as characters will gather around the remains of a slain dragon to examine it, dogs will stop to sniff at dragon remains in their path.
  • Spells such as Chain Lightning might kill a dog instantly if used by the Dragonborn.

Bugs[]

This section contains bugs related to Dog (Skyrim). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:

  1. Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening.
  2. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on.
  3. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.
  • It is possible for a dog to stand, sit or lie at the edge of a water source, such as a river or pond, with their head submerged underwater. The dog will not drown and will continue to bark as if their head was not submerged.
  • If the Dragonborn tells a stray dog to wait in their home, then receives a notification saying that the dog has returned home, the dog may still be found in the Dragonborn's home, wandering around. However the dog cannot be interacted with, nor can they be recruited again or be moved out of the house, thus being stuck in the house permanently.
  •  PC   360   Sometimes, dialogue options can not be opened with a dog.
    •  PC (Fix)   This can be fixed by leaving the dog in a different location, and then using the console to move the dog to the player.
  •  PS3   Sometimes, despite having Hearthfire installed, the Dragonborn will not have the dialogue option to have a dog return to their home, and the dog will instead go back to their default home when asked to leave.
  •  PS3   If a child is allowed to keep a dog brought home, it will not appear in the homestead at all.
  • Sometimes when the dog is dismissed it will not return to its original place and instead completely vanish.

Appearances[]


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