Dog

For the dog in Dragon Age II, see Dog (Dragon Age II).

Dog
Title	Mabari War Dog
Race	Mabari
Gender	Male
Class	Warrior
Appearances	Dragon Age: Origins Witch Hunt

"Dog" is the default name of a Mabari war hound who can join the party at the Deserted Farmland or Highever (Human Noble Origin) and serves as the Warden's faithful companion. Dog is a full party member, counting as a warrior who has war hound-specific abilities that he can learn, and character specific equipment in the form of collars and kaddis. He also has party banter and interactions, as well as a territory-marking exploration game, which involves locating and subsequently having Dog "mark" various points in the different locales the party visits. Doing so activates Mabari Dominance, which is detailed lower on the page. Not all locations have landmarks to mark, however.

Background

Dogs are an essential part of Ferelden culture, and no dog is more prized than the mabari. The breed is as old as myth, said to have been bred from the wolves who served the legendary hero Dane.

Involvement

Dog is obtained in one of two ways in Origins; a third, "last chance" opportunity is added with the Return to Ostagar DLC. Template:DAOSpoiler

Initial statistics

Dog's talent tree

See Dog talents for a list of its talents.

Relative attribute weightings on auto-level: strength 1.2, dexterity 1, willpower 1.5, magic 0, cunning 0, constitution 1.1.

Dog has access to a series of talents unique to it. On the console editions of the game, it can also access warrior talents. pc In Witch Hunt, Dog can also learn Second Wind, Peon's Plight, Grievous Insult and Massacre talents, like other warriors.

It can also sense Stealthed enemies such as Genlock Rogues at fairly close range. The Stealth is not counteracted and there is no in-game notification except for an angry warning growl. In any case, only a mage has any significant response options (such as inscribing a Glyph of Repulsion to repel an initial melee attack).

Equipment

Kaddis and warpaint designs

Dog has two slots for equipment, taking the place of conventional weapons or armor:

• Collar
• Kaddis (or "warpaint")

Both types can provide defensive or offensive bonuses.

There are twelve warpaints and nine collars available in Dragon Age: Origins. An additional collar and warpaint are available with the Return to Ostagar DLC. The Protective Cone, available with the Feastday Gifts and Pranks DLC, can also be equipped as a collar.

Finding items

Dog can be asked, "Do you see anything interesting?" almost everywhere outside of camp (though not while he is injured). In most areas he will have a random chance to return with either a minor item from the generic treasure list (such as Elfroot), or one of a limited number of unique items:

Codex entry: A Very Chewed and Moist Book (Codex: Books & Songs)

Dirty Pair of Pantaloons, gift

Found Cake, gift

Garbolg's Backcountry Reserve, gift

Piece of Wood

Tangled Ball of Yarn, gift

There are also area-specific items he can dig up:

Codex entry: A Letter to Someone in Highever - at Lake Calenhad Docks

Duty - in the Deep Roads (all over, but definitely a 100% drop rate early in The Dead Trenches).

[[File:|20px|middle|link=Deathroot|Deathroot]] Deathroot - around the Brecilian Forest and Dalish Camp

Assorted gemstones - at the Mountain Top

Notes

• pc^1.05 ps3xbox360 There is apparently a bug where you get the message, "Dog has brought you an item!", but you will receive nothing in your inventory. If you get that message but no item icon on the lower left corner of the screen, you will receive no item.
• The human noble unsurprisingly has the earliest access to found items, as any of the non-area-specific ones can be found within Castle Cousland. Piece of Wood is of particular interest, as it could be of use to the Circle Mage who joins the new Warden at the Tower of Ishal.

Landmark explorations

see Codex entry: Mabari Dominance

Throughout Ferelden are several objects labeled as Landmarks. These objects may have a sparkling aura, much like containers. When a landmark is selected without Dog in the party, it has no effect. If Dog is in the party, but is not the one to select the landmark, a message hints that he may be interested.

When a landmark is 'marked' by Dog, Mabari Dominance is activated, providing him with bonuses of +2 strength, +2 willpower, and +2 constitution. The effect remains active while Dog is in the area, at any distance from the landmark. However, it is not applied inside buildings, even if they are within or adjacent to the landmark's location. (e.g. inside Redcliffe Castle, The Spoiled Princess, Dane's Refuge, etc.)

After Dog leaves an area where a landmark has been activated, Mabari Dominance should automatically reactivate when he returns to that location.

Landmarks

Dragon Age: Origins:

• Brecilian Forest - A tree between the Grand Oak and the haunted camp.
• Dalish Camp - A tent.
• Denerim Market - An overturned cart (during The Battle of Denerim).
• East Brecilian Forest - The Mad Hermit's tent.
• Elven Alienage - The Vhenadahl (not during the City Elf origin).
• Lake Calenhad Docks - An overturned boat on the shore.
• Lothering - A tree on a small rise northeast of the windmill.
• Redcliffe - A tree next to the windmill.
• Redcliffe Castle Courtyard - A small tree near the ground-floor door.

---

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.

---

Note: The Dalish Camp landmark disappears if you side with the Werewolves during Nature of the Beast.

Return to Ostagar:

• Ostagar - A woodpile in the King's Camp.

Witch Hunt:

• Cadash Thaig - A stone at the base of a large statue, on a landing between two bridges near the thaig entrance.
• Dragonbone Wastes - A skull south of the area's entrance.
• Elven Ruins - A corpse near the ruins entrance.
• Mage Tower Basement - An artifact located near a notable statue.

Gifts

Naturally, Dog likes bones. However, his approval starts at the cap of +100 and cannot be lowered by any means. Gifting him the Stick from Feastday Gifts will increase his dexterity attribute by +6 (matching the maximum approval-based attribute increase that other companions can receive). The Protective Cone from Feastday Pranks can be given to him as a prank.

Name	Notes	Description
Beef Bone	Location: Ostagar and Circle Tower	A shoulder of beef, with bone attached.
Found Cake	Found by Dog	A soggy cake-like object that has probably seen better days. Flecks of dog spittle still cling to it.
Lamb Bone	Located: Redcliffe Castle	The bone from a leg of roast lamb.
Large Bone	Located: Haven and Soldier's Peak	This large bone is of indeterminate origin. It still looks tasty.
Ox Bone	Located: West Brecilian Forest	This ox bone still has some tendon attached to it.
Tangled Ball of Yarn	Found by Dog	A tangled ball of grey-brown woolen yarn. It is still slimy from having been in the mabari's mouth.
Veal Bone	Located: Denerim Alienage	A juicy veal bone.
Stick		This sturdy stick is well-weighted for throwing.

Quotes

Main article: Dog (Origins)/Dialogue

• Sten: (Snarls.)
• Dog: (Growls angrily.)
• Sten: (Lets out a terrifying roar.)
• Dog: (Barks angrily and lunges at Sten.)
• Sten: "You are a true warrior, and worthy of respect."
• Dog: (Barks excitedly.)

───────

• Morrigan: "Does this mean we are going to have this mangy beast follow us around? Wonderful."
• Alistair: (Adoringly) "He's not mangy!"

───────

• Morrigan: "I know it was you rooting in my pack, mongrel."
• Dog: (Innocent whine)
• Morrigan: "Who else? Alistair? He's a likely suspect, I admit, but no."
• Dog: (Bows head shamefully)
• Morrigan: "I notice you avoided the hemlock."
• Dog: (Happy bark!)
• Morrigan: "Yes, yes, very clever. Next time I will disguise it more carefully."
• Dog: (Sad eyes)
• Morrigan: "Do not even try it! I would not give you a biscuit had I one."
• Dog: (Sadder eyes)
• Morrigan: "Oh... very well. But tell no one!"

───────

• Shale: I am watching you, dog. Do you know how many of your kind urinated on me in that village? And all I could do is stand there and watch, helpless. If I see one of those legs of yours lift so much as an inch in my direction -- pow!
• Dog: (Confused whine!)
• Shale: I am glad we have this understanding. At least your kind can be reasoned with... unlike those damned feathered fiends!

───────

(If Dog is chosen as the Warden's champion to duel Loghain)

• Loghain: "Will you face me yourself, or have you a champion?"
• Warden: "My mabari will be my champion."
• Dog: (Happy bark!)
• Arl Eamon: "Ah, Warden... No. I'm afraid we can't leave the fate of all Ferelden up to your dog. Anyone with a leftover ham bone could buy his allegiance. Choose someone else."

───────

• Finn: Dog! What is that in which a tree is covered?"
• Dog: (Bark!)
• Ariane: (Sigh)

Trivia

Concept art

• A long-standing joke between the people who frequent the official Dragon Age: Origins forum is that Dog's "official" name is really Rabbit (which was used as an example name by one of the writers, Mary Kirby), and he is still occasionally referred to as such.
• Dog is referenced in a Penny Arcade comic in which the character, speaking in an irreverently comical modern slang, informs a NPC that he's named his dog Barkspawn. In the DLC The Darkspawn Chronicles, Alistair named him Barkspawn after saving him at Ostagar.
• If you speak to Dog while he has an injury, he will whine instead of his usual greetings, and you will be able to either comfort him, saying, "You've done well", or scold him for "being a baby". This has no real effect though, as you of course can't affect Dog's approval for better or worse.
• If a mage casts Flaming Weapons or a similar spell on the party's weapons, Dog will be given the visual effect on his entire body.
• If you talk to Dog whilst covered in blood, you can ask, "Can you do something about this gory mess?", to which Dog will happily bark and clean the blood from your character. Dog receives health for doing so.
• Unlike most other characters, whose movement speed slows when entering combat, Dog speeds up, moving at a slightly increased rate.
• As of the Witch Hunt DLC, it's said in his newly edited codex that Dog has sired many puppies.

See also

Codex entry: Dog

Codex entry: The Mabari Hound