Dogmeat (Fallout 3)

Dogmeat is the dog companion of the Vault 101 Dweller.

Character
His name is an homage to the Dogmeat from the first Fallout and, according to the developers, he's the descendant of Vault Dweller's original canine companion that died in a horrible accident involving a force field. Also, the first appearance of Dogmeat in the original Fallout game can be considered a homage to the character "Dog", Mad Max's canine companion in The Road Warrior (AKA Mad Max 2 Internationally.) Dogmeat possesses in-game dog AI and is designed to help the player in-game: if enemies are nearby, he will growl. His main combat use, apart from minor damage, is distracting the character's adversary, as he's coded to be a higher priority target than the player's character. Dogmeat can also be used to fetch supplies, such as food, ammo and weapons (for some reason being able to bypass locked containers to get them).

Before the release of Fallout 3, the process of how to recruit Dogmeat had only been shown as a small clip as the player holds something out to the wounded dog. The item is not revealed. Dogmeat was said to be found in a random encounter, which would appear in different places depending on where the player ventures to, but was meant to appear early on to help develop your bond with the dog. This was scrapped and in the released game, Dogmeat is found in a fixed location all the time, the Scrapyard, south of Minefield. He is found attacking and killing several raiders, but approaches the player peacefully and will join him if asked.

If the player reaches the Scrapyard and does not enter it, or somehow manages to pass by and trigger the event without speaking to Dogmeat, it is still possible to encounter him later in a random encounter. He will sometimes come to your aid when you are facing overwhelming odds, such as a larger group of Talon Company Mercs in the wasteland. If during your travels you see the words "Dogmeat is Unconscious" appear at the top of the screen, it means he is nearby somewhere and is likely being attacked. Dogmeat cannot die before you have recruited him.

Shooting Dogmeat in the initial encounter without talking to him can make it impossible for the player to recruit him. He will appear outside Vault 101, but cannot be engaged in dialogue.

Abilities
Dogmeat can be instructed to search the party's current area for either ammunition, chems, food or weapons; the player can also have him stay in his current location, heal him with Stimpaks, or send him to Vault 101's entrance for safety. Dogmeat can set off traps and will attack enemies, even if they are strong melee fighters.

Dogmeat's health can be checked by aiming at him or targeting him in V.A.T.S. Like other characters, Dogmeat can be wounded by missed V.A.T.S. shots that were aimed at an enemy.

He does have plenty of health, 500 hp, so finding him early in the game may be a good idea for beginners. In addition, Dogmeat's health is restored to full when there are no enemies nearby, although, in a pinch, Dogmeat can be talked to and healed with Stimpaks during combat. The player must be very careful of strong melee opponents like Yao Guais or Deathclaws, as they will kill Dogmeat with just a few melee attacks. Dogmeat will sometimes retreat if he is being shot by enemies he cannot reach, but not always, so it is not recommended he be commanded to stay in his current location if an area contains turrets.

Dogmeat may not be a very good companion for a stealthy character. He can detect enemies in adjoining rooms or on floors above and below the player, just as the player can with Perception. When he notices a target, he growls. While the growling does not appear to alert enemies, it does make it harder to hear enemies. He will also initiate combat on his own, even if the player is not yet detected. He can even open doors on his own to attack. This may force the player to choose between letting Dogmeat fend for himself until the player is ready, or to engage in hasty combat, forfeiting the advantages of stealth attacks. There is not an option to prevent Dogmeat from attacking any enemies he sees. However, Dogmeat can be told to wait in one spot, which can allow the player to use stealth without Dogmeat interfering. Keep in mind, however, that if Dogmeat sees an enemy while waiting, he will still attack.

If the player has Dogmeat then he can still have another follower. Dogmeat appears to have a reserved spot as a companion, so if he dies, the player can recruit two of the other followers at once. If Dogmeat is killed by the player while he has Charon's contract, Charon becomes hostile and attacks, making the player unable to recruit him.

In Dogmeat's dialogue, there are "Scold" and "Praise" options. These however, do nothing at all and appear to be there purely for flavor.

As well never send Dogmeat for ammo into Minefield or he will die almost immediately.

Statistics

 * Health: 500
 * SPECIAL: 7ST, 8PE, 7EN, 6CH, 2IN, 8AG, 3LK


 * Skills
 * Combat Skill: 60


 * Dog stats
 * Attack Damage: 5
 * Attack Reach: 48
 * Turning Speed: 90
 * Foot Weight: 1.0
 * Base Scale: 1.0
 * Fatigue: 50
 * Speed Mult %: 100

Glitches

 * Although it may not be a glitch, Dogmeat has trouble with stairs, and will make large, unnecessary leaps to get up and down staircases. If watching closely he may appear to float for a moment.


 * If the player leaves Dogmeat in his/her home during a quest Dogmeat might bug out of the house and might be encountered randomly during your current quest, or the message "Dogmeat is waiting outside of Vault 101" will appear. If the latter occurs the player will later have to retrieve him.


 * He also has a tendency to just disappear. This can happened while trying to enter (or leave) places like Springvale School, the Nuka-Cola Factory, Dunwich Building, Montgomery County Reservoir and Evergreen Mills. Dogmeat can also disappear if he accidentally gets stuck in a pile of debris. If you wait outside of a building for a long time (EX 12 hours) Dogmeat may appear right in front of you when you stop waiting. You can also try fast traveling, which may or may not fix the problem.


 * Sometimes when sending Dogmeat to find ammo or chems, he wont come back for many days, and when he does randomly re-appear he has no items for you.


 * Dogmeat can supposedly appear in Vault 87 if told to wait in My Megaton House. In Vault 87 he will appear when you are stunned and ready for capture by the Enclave.  You will be able to hear him panting just out of view.  A message will then appear that he is waiting outside of Vault 101.


 * Dogmeat will often appear (even though told to wait in My Megaton House) in the escape tunnels that lead from the Jefferson Memorial to the Citadel when you are escorting the scientists to safety.


 * When ordered to Vault 101 by the player from the Citadel, sometimes he will just disappear and you will never get the 'Dogmeat is waiting at Vault 101' message.


 * Sometimes after disappearing for a an extensive period of time (in the case in question, Dogmeat disappeared while the Lone Wanderer was near level 12 and reappeared finally after the Lone Wanderer had already reached level 20) he will simply reappear after waiting (even though the player may have waited several times since Dogmeat vanished)

Hoax

 * There is a viral hoax that Dogmeat can use weapons, or in particular Wazer Wifle. See Wazer Wifle Hoax.