Using Different Dog Breeds!

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Do you use different breeds of dogs in your campaigns? In the natural world, of course, there are many different kinds of dog breeds, many of which have salient skills and characteristics. For example:

German Shepherds: These dogs, as a breed, are world-famous for their talents at security work.

Border Collies: Border collies have this insane discipline, are intelligent and easy to train, and have a deep need to "herd" others around them, and keep a watch on them--whether "they" are sheep, other dogs, or small children.

Labrador Retrievers: Labs are famous for being intelligent, good hunters, swimmers, and friendly and sociable, as well as being sensitive--this is why they are used for bomb and drug detection, as well as trained for special people with disabilities.

and so on.

In my own campaign world of Thandor, I have a number of special breeds of dogs, that are often available for player characters to buy, or otherwise acquire as some form of treasure or gift.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Milagroso]

There are so many breeds of dogs in the world, and my knowledge of them is very limited. I am not a dog person. I'm not a cat person either. I use to be, until I found that ferrets make much better pets. Sadly, my wife recently became allergic to all things furry, scaly, and otherwise domesticated. So my only pet right now is... a plant. I call her Butter.

Seriously, I don't pay any mind to dog breeds. I leave that up to the players. If they decide that they want a Lab for their hunting and a German Shepard for the halfing's mount, I make it so. I do not grant any bonuses or penalties based off the breed of dog, but I imagine that one day I will.

I had one player, once upon a time, who was very knowledgeable about horses and attempted to educate me on the different breeds and how they would have certain bonuses and whatnot. Whatever... I like my games detailed, but I cannot go above my own knowledge or desire to acquire said knowledge.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I know a fair amount about a lot of animals, so if I can find the info, I'll use it, and I'll let my players use it.

As for Border Collies...I've owned 5 in the past 20+ years.

Border Collies: Border collies have this insane discipline, are intelligent and easy to train, and have a deep need to "herd" others around them, and keep a watch on them--whether "they" are sheep, other dogs, or small children.

Their high intelligence can also make them difficult to train...they tend to make up rules of their own.

One of the 2 I own right now takes an approach to playing in the yard as the combat rules in the Classic Trek episode, "The Gamesters of Triskellion." Whatever is in the grass, she'll retrieve, but once she gets it onto the concrete, a human has to get it. You can't order her to do otherwise- she just won't budge.

She also won't fetch a toy she doesn't want to. If she brings you the rope and you throw the tennis ball, she won't catch it. You can even bounce the ball off of her head, and she'll stay crouched like a furry statue until you throw her the rope.

 

[SHARK]

There are so many breeds of dogs in the world, and my knowledge of them is very limited. I am not a dog person. I'm not a cat person either. I use to be, until I found that ferrets make much better pets. Sadly, my wife recently became allergic to all things furry, scaly, and otherwise domesticated. So my only pet right now is... a plant. I call her Butter.

Seriously, I don't pay any mind to dog breeds. I leave that up to the players. If they decide that they want a Lab for their hunting and a German Shepard for the halfing's mount, I make it so. I do not grant any bonuses or penalties based off the breed of dog, but I imagine that one day I will.

I had one player, once upon a time, who was very knowledgeable about horses and attempted to educate me on the different breeds and how they would have certain bonuses and whatnot. Whatever... I like my games detailed, but I cannot go above my own knowledge or desire to acquire said knowledge.

Greetings!

I see, Milagroso. I can understand that. Having a horse fanatic must have been a real joy, huh?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[SHARK]

I know a fair amount about a lot of animals, so if I can find the info, I'll use it, and I'll let my players use it.

As for Border Collies...I've owned 5 in the past 20+ years.



Their high intelligence can also make them difficult to train...they tend to make up rules of their own.

One of the 2 I own right now takes an approach to playing in the yard as the combat rules in the Classic Trek episode, "The Gamesters of Triskellion." Whatever is in the grass, she'll retrieve, but once she gets it onto the concrete, a human has to get it. You can't order her to do otherwise- she just won't budge.

She also won't fetch a toy she doesn't want to. If she brings you the rope and you throw the tennis ball, she won't catch it. You can even bounce the ball off of her head, and she'll stay crouched like a furry statue until you throw her the rope.

Greetings!

Ah, yes. Quite true, Danny Alcatraz, quite true! I love border collies....but they do have some quirks for sure! Good stuff there Danny!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Milagroso]

Greetings!

I see, Milagroso. I can understand that. Having a horse fanatic must have been a real joy, huh?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Well, she did teach me the differences in horse movement rates (cantor vs gallops & etc.) before I ever read about them in a D&D book. So it wasn't all bad.

What really steamed my rice is when she insisted on playing a character who could shapeshift into a unicorn based off the animated move The Last Unicorn. She even brought the movie over for me to watch. So I humored her, created a specially race for it (used 2ed rules at the time) and let her run with it. But I had to draw the line when she insisted that a 4' high skinny little uni-colt could carry a 6'0 200lb 18/00 Str warrior woman in full plate armor.

Actually, I think it was a pegasus-unicorn hybrid thing.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

There are different kinds of dogs, of course, but I usually don't come up with different stats for them all. It isn't necessary, either.

German Shepherds
Labrador Retrievers

You mean Waterdhavian Shepherds and Cormyr Retrievers, right?

That raises another question: Who goes the extra mile and changes the dog races' names so they fit their campaign world? Unless you have Germany, Labrador, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, and similar locations in your campaigns, those names make little sense.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Yes.

One dog "breed" I've used regularly that I haven't seen revisited in 3E D&D literature is the Cooshee (elven dog) from the original Monster Manual II.

Many if WOTC ever does the Complete Book of Animal Companions the Cooshee will come back officially.

 

[exile]

Though not actively running a game, I did just get a new dog (a lab-pit mix that I call the labrabull) and I have at least been contemplating a new homebrew setting. I definitely want to include some breeds of dog in it. While I would base them clearly on real world animals, I would want to change the names.

 

[green slime]

I'm intrigued. Would you care to share your various breeds, and their abilities?

How do you express ease of training? Shorter training time? More tricks / Int?