 | For the schizophrenic nightkin in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Dead Money, see Dog and God. For more information about dogs, see Dogs on Wikipedia. |
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 | This is a lore summary, presenting intradiegetic or in-universe information about the subject. For game characteristics and similar data, consult the table on the right. |
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In the Fallout world, dogs are hardly any different from the ones found in our world, though many have become feral and vicious in order to survive in the harsh environment of the Wasteland. Even so, just as they have in ages past, many dogs have remained faithful and beloved companions to men and women. Inarguably, the most famous of these post-nuclear canines was Dogmeat, the companion of the Vault Dweller.
Background[]
The domestic dog (Latin: Canis lupus familiaris) is a canid that is known as man's best friend. The dog was the first domesticated animal and has been widely kept as a working, hunting, and pet companion. Though most breeds of dogs remain largely un-mutated by radiation exposure, some modified or mutant varieties do exist.[1] The Master created centaurs by mixing dog, human and brahmin in the FEV vats.[2] Dogs were also subject cyberization, which resulted in cyberdogs.
Biology[]
Dogs have been selectively bred for millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Modern dog breeds show more variation in size, appearance, and behavior than any other domestic animal. Nevertheless, their morphology is based on that of their wild wolf ancestors. Dogs are predators and scavengers, and like many other predatory mammals, the dog has powerful muscles, fused wrist bones, a cardiovascular system that supports both sprinting and endurance, and teeth for catching and tearing. Dogs are highly variable in height and weight. Like most mammals, dogs are dichromats and have color vision equivalent to red–green color blindness in humans (deuteranopia). The dog's visual system has evolved to aid proficient hunting. While a dog's visual acuity is poor, their visual discrimination for moving objects is very high. The frequency range of dog hearing is approximately 40 Hz to 60,000 Hz. the dog brain is dominated by an olfactory cortex.
Despite their descent from wolves and classification as Carnivora, dogs are variously described in scholarly and other writings as carnivores or omnivores. Dogs can adapt to a wide-ranging diet, and are not dependent on meat-specific protein nor a very high level of protein in order to fulfill their basic dietary requirements. Dogs will healthily digest a variety of foods, including vegetables and grains, and can consume a large proportion of these in their diet. Compared to their wolf ancestors, dogs have adaptations in genes involved in starch digestion that contribute to an increased ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet.
The typical lifespan of dogs varies widely among breeds, but for most the median longevity, the age at which half the dogs in a population have died and half are still alive, ranges from 10 to 13 years.
In domestic dogs, sexual maturity begins to happen around age six to twelve months for both males and females, although this can be delayed until up to two years old for some large breeds. Dogs bear their litters roughly 58 to 68 days after fertilization, with an average of 63 days, although the length of gestation can vary. An average litter consists of about six puppies, though this number may vary widely based on the breed of dog.
Variants[]
Dog[]
Regular unmutated dogs with standard statistics and characteristics but no special attributes.
Fiend guard dog[]
Fiend guard dogs roam the environs surrounding New Vegas, companions to the notorious Fiends.
NCR guard dogs[]
These guard dogs are commissioned by the New California Republic and are used in apprehending criminals and sniffing out foreign substances.
Raider guard dog[]
These guard dogs patrol the Capital Wasteland with their raider masters and help sniff out any unlucky wastelander within their specific vicinity.
Scavenger's dog[]
These dogs are kept by scavengers for companionship and protection. If any harm is brought to the scavenger, the dog will attack.
Talon company guard dog[]
These guard dogs serve the mercenaries of Talon Company. They are quick, perceptive and, most of all, deadly.
Legion mongrel[]
Legion mongrels are dogs bred by the Houndmasters of Caesar's Legion. Mongrels are mainly used in combat and scouting missions by the Legion. Because of their thick, shaggy hair and their red-colored eyes, they are of a distinctly different breed than most dogs found in the Wasteland.
Vicious dog[]
Vicious dogs are a nearly hairless species of wasteland canine. Ruthless survivors of the wastes, these starving, irradiated mutts will attack anything that moves.
White Leg mongrel[]
White Leg mongrels are wolf-like canines, these companions of the White Legs travel throughout Zion Canyon with them.
Wild dog[]
Savage dogs that society forgot about. They run the wastes in packs looking for critters, or better yet, the unwary traveler to prey upon.
Mastiff[]
 | The following is based on Van Buren and has not been confirmed by canon sources. |
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Large dogs found throughout Dog City.
| End of information based on Van Buren. |
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Poison dog[]
 | The following is based on Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel and has not been confirmed by canon sources. |
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Due to the harsh radioactive environment of Los, the dogs in the area have become glowing, poisonous and radioactive.
| End of information based on Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel. |
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Appearances[]
Dogs appear in all Fallout games, as well as on the cover of the graphic novel All Roads.
References
- ↑ Enclave field terminals; Enclave Field Research Terminal, Field Entry: Dog (feral)
- ↑ Fallout Bible 1
Fallout Bible 0: "3. Are the radscorpions a product of the FEV virus? When you talk to the doctor, Razlo, in Shady Sands, he tells you that they were once American Emperor Scorpions but that he has no idea how they mutated because radiation alone couldn't have done it. For that matter, what about all of the other creatures of the wasteland? Which ones have been mutated by FEV and which ones haven't? Maybe in the bestiary each creature could have a stat that shows it's level of FEV infection."
"Answer:- The radscorpions are a result of a combination of radiation and the FEV virus, and Razlo in Shady Sands is correct - they were originally Emperor Scorpions that have grown... big.
- FEV-Infected Critters in the wasteland include almost all the ones you've seen in F1 and F2:
Mantises.
Most species of rats.
Gecko lizards.
Brahmin
Scorpions
Ants
Various varieties of plants, including the Venus Flytrap.
Rumor has it some dogs were affected, but no one's seen any, so for now that's just rumor. Of course, the centaurs are a mash of human, dog, and various other parts... but hey, who knows how that mutation came about. Grey was probably messing around in one of his labs. - Creatures not mutated by FEV probably did not survive the aftermath of the Great War, with the possible exception of cockroaches... and perhaps normal ants, though there are FEV-infected versions of these species.
- No one knows where those bird noises in Vault City came from.
- I'll try to include a chart of FEV-infected creatures in future additions as well as other critters that you may not have seen in F1 and F2. Most likely a great majority of insects were affected (they tend to breed much faster, and their mutations tend to become evident pretty quickly as the generations advance), possibly beetles, some spiders, cockroaches, and other creatures."
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