Dogmeat (Fallout 4)

Dogmeat is a dog living in the Commonwealth and a possible companion to the Sole Survivor.

Background
They will be named Dog until the Sole Survivor speaks to Mama Murphy about their true name during the quest When Freedom Calls, or until Nick Valentine reveals their name during Getting a Clue, when Dogmeat has to sniff out Kellogg. According to Mama Murphy, Dogmeat does not have an owner and "is his own man." The Sole Survivor can choose to adopt Dogmeat, who will accompany them on their travels throughout the Commonwealth.

Dogmeat is found at a Red Rocket truck stop southeast of Sanctuary Hills and can be recruited as a companion. An objective entitled "Greet the dog" will appear in the "Miscellaneous" section of the "Quests" tab in the player character's Pip-Boy. The objective is completed when the player character first initiates a 'conversation' with Dogmeat. If Dogmeat isn't already the Sole Survivor's companion, he will be called by Nick Valentine with a whistle during the quest Getting a Clue. Nick Valentine will also say beforehand that he "knows a guy that can help" and remark, "I've worked with him quite a few times before." while talking about Dogmeat.

Dogmeat loves the Sole Survivor unconditionally and thus is neither negatively nor positively influenced by their actions. As of the base game, he is the only companion, aside from temporary followers during quests, who is considered to be truly neutral.

Equipment
Dogmeat can be equipped with cosmetic items in four distinct slots. These slots are the eyes, headband, neck, and torso.

Appearances
Dogmeat appears in Fallout 4 and Fallout Shelter.

Behind the scenes

 * Dogmeat is modeled after River, a female German Shepherd, and the pet of Joel and Michelle Burgess.
 * After River passed away in June 2021, Joel Burgess wrote a Twitter thread talking about River's role in development. Dogmeat was designed as a companion first and a combat ally second, which is why Bethesda chose a more personable dog than a professionally-trained one. Much of Dogmeat's in-game behavior was inspired by River, who would attend meetings and hang out with the team during development, in addition to providing modeling references and audio. Dogmeat's brown eyes are replications of River's own eyes. Her walking behavior, and emphasis on stalling enemies rather than direct damage were all inspired by River.
 * Dogmeat's item-fetching and seeking functionality, developed by Jon Paul Duvall and Jay Woodward, among others, was inspired by River's tendency to retrieve large objects as a show of affection.
 * Dogmeat's ability to wear dog armor, bandanas, and other clothing items was developed by Mark Teare and Ryan Sears.
 * Joel Burgess explained that Dogmeat is trapped out of time and does not belong in 2287, just like the Sole Survivor. Dogmeat's origin is intentionally left vague, with differing clues in-game, so players can develop their own theories about her.
 * Dogmeat has an article on Wikipedia, found here.

Bugs

 * In Survival mode, when Dogmeat is downed there is no quest marker to heal him as there is with other companions.
 * In Survival mode, Dogmeat's carry weight is set as 25 by default, and will be increased to 150 when Dogmeat has a piece of equipment on (i.e. any bandana, armor, or dog collar). Welding goggles do not count.