Prior to a game's anticipated release, there are numerous questions a player may have. How long is the game? Is there a multiplayer mode? Are there microtransactions and lootboxes? For many players, however, there is but one question that supersedes all others. A question that can make or break a purchase. Is there a dog, and if so, can it be pet?
That was the question Twitter user Can You Pet The Dog (@CanYouPetTheDog) began to explore in 2019. By attempting to chronicle every game where players can and cannot pet dogs, Can You Pet The Dog has provided players with answers to this burning question. What does it mean to "pet the dog," one may ask? The game must first have some form of canine, and the player must be able to freely trigger a petting animation. Many games include the ability to pet the dog, and in some cases, developers have patched this ability in. Sadly, there are other games that don't allow players to pet the dog, which is definitely ruff.
10 Let's You Pet: Monster Hunter Rise's Palamutes Are Versatile Dogs Worthy Of Every Pet
Monster Hunter fans were pleased to learn that Monster Hunter Rise allowed them to pet their large Palamutes. It would not have been a good look for Monster Hunter Rise considering how prominent Palamutes are. Palamutes are Buddies that players can utilize to ride across Monster Hunter Rise's maps, assist the player in battle, and even fully customize.
Not only can Palamutes be pet, but players can also give them well-deserved treats. Of course, what's a treat without tricks? Players can also ask their Palamute to shake making Palamutes among the most talented dogs in gaming.
9 Doesn't Let You Pet: The Dogs In Elden Ring Will Eat More Than Just Your Homework
Wanting to pet a large dog can be very tempting. However, some dogs in gaming have a bite far worse than their bark. That is the case for Elden Ring as well as most games within the Souls genre.
Elden Ring has numerous canine enemies. The Red Wolf of Radagon, for example, is a boss that sports a beautiful, flowing coat. The Red Wolf may likely be prone to excessive shedding, which would be exhausting to constantly deal with, but that's the least of its problems. Like other canines throughout Elden Ring, Red Wolf would be a joy to pet if it wasn't for the fact it can (and will) kill the player within a split second.
8 Let's You Pet: Cerberus In Hades Is Three Dogs For The Price Of One
Not all large dogs are ferocious and eager to kill a player before they're able to say, "Oh that's a big dog!" Cerberus from Supergiant Games' hit title Hades always welcomes being pet. True to Greek mythology, Cerberus acts as the guard to the entrance and exit of the Underworld. Cerberus is the trusty companion of Hades himself as well as his son, the player-controlled Zagreus.
Cerberus can be pet in the House of Hades. Petting Cerberus ten times unlocks a trophy/achievement. Cerberus also entrusts Zagreus with a Favor that requires him to pet Cerberus an additional 20 times.
7 Doesn't Let You Pet: The Resident Evil Series Is Full Of Unpettable Dogs
It's always sad to see zombified and/or mutated dogs. Similar to enemy dogs in Souls games, all they think about is killing any living thing in sight. It's easy to wonder if these zombified dogs received enough pets in their lifetime. Hopefully, they did.
Possibly the most iconic of these dogs come from throughout the Resident Evil series. These dogs have a penchant for jump scares and are extremely relentless. At the very least, in Resident Evil 4, Leon Kennedy can save a healthy dog from a bear trap that will aid him in a later boss fight. Sadly, the player cannot pet that helpful dog either.
6 Let's You Pet: Ghostwire: Tokyo Allows Players To Also Get A Glimpse At What The Dog Is Thinking
The question of whether or not the player is allowed to pet the dog has encouraged responses from developers. Some developers will even formally announce this feature prior to the release of their upcoming title. That was the case with Tango Gameworks' Ghostwire: Tokyo when they released a minute-long video at QuakeCon assuring players that they would be able to pet the dog.
Ghostwire: Tokyo features an adorable Shiba Inu wandering the streets of Tokyo. If all a player could do is pet this Shiba Inu, that would be enough. However, by feeding the Shiba Inu, players have a chance to read its mind, an ability nearly every dog owner wishes they had. And as a reward for feeding it, the Shiba Inu can lead the player to money as well as collectibles.
5 Doesn't Let You Pet: Umbra And Pryna In Final Fantasy XV Do Not Reach Their Full Potential
It's tough to get the Final Fantasy fandom to agree on anything. One thing the Final Fantasy fandom almost universally agrees on is how much potential Final Fantasy XV had. It had most of the pieces on hand to produce one of the best FF mainlines, but many felt FFXV fell short of that potential. Nothing epitomizes falling short of potential in FFXV more than Umbra and Pryna.
Umbra and Pryna are Messengers from the Astrals tasked to aid the Oracle (Lunafreya). Umbra later helps Noctis and his friends by allowing them to travel back in time before they left FFXV's vast open world, giving them a chance to tackle side quests. Time travel is definitely worthy of pets, but that option is not available, a glaring omission. Noctis can ask Umbra to shake, however, which counts for something.
4 Let's You Pet: D-Dog In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Is A True Underdog Story
When a player encounters a dog, they encounter that dog at that moment in time. Rarely do players know and understand the history of that dog. What has that dog experienced? Few dogs in gaming receive the same level of character development as D-Dog (Diamond Dog, or DD) does in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Early on in his quest for vengeance, Venom Snake discovered an orphaned wolf puppy that's missing an eye. Over time, D-Dog progressed in his training and grows up to become a loyal ally to Venom Snake. D-Dog is able to join Venom Snake on missions and players can increase their bond with D-Dog by issuing different commands and, yes, petting him.
3 Doesn't Let You Pet: Players Lack The Freedom To Pet Dogs In Breath Of The Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a monumental game. The level of freedom to not only explore the lands of Hyrule, but also toy with its physics engine to creative results, allowed BotW to become one of the most beloved entries in the classic The Legend of Zelda series.
In a game that allows players to do almost anything they want, there is one thing they can't do: pet the dog. Throughout Hyrule, players can find Border Collies throughout villages and outposts. By feeding them enough times, these dogs can lead players to buried items similar to Ghostwire: Tokyo. Players can also summon Wolf Link from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess using the Wolf Link and Midna Amiibo. Wolf Link also cannot be pet.
2 Let's You Pet: Players Are Definitely Lucky To Be Able To Pet Lucky In Marvel's Avengers
Even some of the strongest heroes need the companionship that comes with a pet such as a dog. Enter Lucky, the one-eyed Golden Retriever belonging to Hawkeye and Kate Bishop. Lucky recently made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the Disney Plus series Hawkeye.
The ability to pet Lucky the Pizza Dog did have to be patched into Marvel's Avengers, which was a fantastic use of resources. One of the many things that make Lucky so special is that every character in Avengers has a unique petting animation, which makes petting Lucky priority number one when any new character is introduced.
1 Doesn't Let You Pet: Genshin Impact Taunts Players By Having Adorable Unpettable Dogs
Genshin Impact quickly became a phenomenon when it was released in 2020 for its BotW-like world and addicting gacha mechanics that frequently introduce new characters and items. Genshin Impact features numerous pets throughout the world of Teyvat. It would make complete sense to be able to pet these animals, correct? Sadly, developer miHiYo has yet to implement this feature into Genshin Impact.
As of November 2021's Version 2.3, players do have access to an adorable sword-wielding dog in Kageroumaru. Kageromaru can be used to help spar as it will deflect any of the player's attacks. It's a step in the right direction, but Kageroumaru's adorableness further emphasizes the need for pettable dogs in Genshin Impact.