Feral dogs

[K3V038]

Mans best friend turned into a feral animal, they would mostly stick to rural areas, either alone or in small packs, stealing rabbits from snares, eating at carcasses etc. It could add some interactions. If a wolf is eating a deer, you know what to do pretty much, if a dog is doing so, what then? Will it attack? Will it run? Will it share? Maybe you can bait it out, make a Bond and officialy "partner up" because you wouldnt really tame a Wild animal, instead you would join or make a pack. It could help you hunt, warn you from predators and sometimes scare them off and it would be a loyal companion

I can see the big issue with adding a potential "companion" the long dark is a game mostly about solitude, just you and nature, adding a dog could break the immersion.

 

[ThePancakeLady]

They wouldn't stand a chance against Timberwolf packs, hungry poisoned wolves, large numbers of regular black wolves, or bears. Which would explain why we find dog houses and dog food, but no stray dogs roaming around. They aren't the top predators- the top predators caught and ate every dog left behind when people fled the island.

I'm really not interested in having to tame and care for a dog (food, water, medical attention) or fend off packs of feral dogs on top of packs of seriously aggro/mentally altered wolves- nothing to do with immersion for me. I just have enough to do in Stalker trying to keep myself alive without having to keep a pet alive at the same time.

If you are playing on PC, there is a mod that lets you have a companion fox- I know it worked with Steam, not sure if it works with Epic or GoG copies of the game. And I am not sure if it is up to date and compatible with the current game version or not (been ages since I used it).

If they added it, it would need to be optional- toggle on or off when setting up a new save, so I could opt out of it.

[ManicManiac]

To my mind, and also from a lore perspective, I think that another big issue with a canine companion is the effects of the First Flare (and all the aurora's that follow).  The idea of an animal companion (specifically dogs, wolves, wolfdogs, wild/feral dogs, etc...) has been discussed many times over the years.  Here are a few thoughts I've had regarding the subject from a couple of those previous discussions:

On 8/30/2019 at 8:07 PM, ManicManiac said:

reasonably consistent with the lore of the game, even if we did find a dog... it would probably immediately try to eat our faces off due to the effects the aurora (in that carnivores animals are preternaturally aggressive and blood thirsty)

On 9/10/2019 at 4:31 PM, ManicManiac said:

It's a neat idea, it really is... I just don't think it would fit with the lore of the game very well.  I've had this subject on my wish lists before (a while back).  The conversation sort of came to the realization that dogs are carnivores, so they would most likely just turn hyper-aggressive like the other carnivores in the game.  Making this particular type of animal companion somewhere in between "extremely dangerous" and "just not possible under the circumstances." 

On 8/16/2020 at 10:15 AM, ManicManiac said:

If wolves (Canis Lupus) are affected by the phenomenon (the "aurora")... then it stands to reason that their close "cousin" the domestic dog (Canis Lupus Familiaris) would likely be affected in a very similar way.

On 10/18/2023 at 10:17 AM, ManicManiac said:

I'm not really in favor of the idea of being able to "tame" carnivores...  The lore indicates they've all gotten hyper-aggressive since the first flare, and I'd argue that even if we managed to "befriend" a wolf or a dog (both canines and both of course carnivorous)... as soon as an aurora would flare up, then our furry friend would likely just go berserk and be a hostile threat to our life.

I don't mind the idea of being able to befriend herbivores since by and large they are not hostile (the notable exception of course is the Moose) and do not seem affected first flare or the subsequent auroras (as least not that we know of since they tend to be gone at night already anyway).

I think the only thing similar I've ever asked for, was the ability to walk while holding a captured rabbit... and that was just so I could then release it in another location (like inside the Mountaineer's Hut 🤭).

[[[ Personal Opinion ]]]
In general though... while I can appreciate the idea, I'm not sure that I'm in favor of animal companions... much for the same reason I don't like the idea of Human NPCs in my Survival Sandbox.  I think it undermines the feeling of isolation.  The fact that all of wildlife on Great Bear Island is either hostile or fearful of our survivor means we are the outsider... the intruder.   That ultimately our survivor will have to live, struggle, and eventually die alone, with nature being at best indifferent of whether we are even there or not (and at worst actively seeking to devour us).

Don't get me wrong... it's a fine wish list item.  
These have just been some of my thoughts on it from over the years.

Edited August 17 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

14 hours ago, ThePancakeLady said:

They aren't the top predators- the top predators caught and ate every dog left behind when people fled the island.

Also, yes.  This is a rather poignant observation.  We know it had been at least a decade since the Great Collapse... that's a long while for abandoned animals to try to eek out a living and avoid being picked off by the more formidable predators.  This is a fascinating point, thank you.

[Leeanda]

I think the only way they'd survive long enough is if there was a large enough pack but still I like to think that they all left with their owners.. 

The other thought is too brutal for me to think about..  

On my runs ,my dog is out there running with the wolves and I leave a can of dog food outside the farm for when it wants to visit me..

Maybe in a tld 2 urban setting they'd work better.