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 radiationexposure, some modified or mutant varieties do exist.[1] The Master created centaurs by mixing dog, human and brahmin in the FEVvats.[2] Dogs were also subject cyberization, which resulted in cyberdogs.
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.
Dogs in Fallout: New Vegas appear in many different forms. Most notably as the companion Rex, a cybernetic dog owned by The King in Freeside. They also serve as guard dogs for Caesar's Legion, the Fiends, and the New California Republic, and as pets of wastelanders such as Old Lady Gibson and Sunny Smiles. Non-aggressive dogs may also be found throughout the wasteland, including one simply referred to as "Dog," which may be found wandering outside of the NCR Correctional Facility.
Vicious dogs and coyotes can often be found in packs, in areas of the wasteland away from human settlements.
In the quest Nothin' But a Hound Dog, the Courier must locate a replacement for the deteriorating brain installed in the cyberdog Rex.
Characteristics[]
Legion mongrels and NCR guard dogs will attack players that have low reputation with their associated faction. Fiend guard dogs and vicious dogs attack on sight, regardless of reputation. Wild dogs and coyotes will attack only if the player is close enough to make them feel threatened. With the Animal Friend perk, Dogs will not attack unless provoked.
Variants[]
Dog[]
Regular dogs with standard statistics and characteristics but no special attributes. Large dogs don't differ much, aside from being stronger than the basic variety. Regular dogs roam Zion Canyon. Old Lady Gibson owns 6 of these animals to guard her junkyard.
Legion mongrels are dogs owned and bred by the Houndmasters of Caesar's Legion. Mongrels are mainly used in combat and scouting missions by the Legion. The current mother of the mongrels in The Fort is Lupa. Because of their thick, shaggy hair (as seen on the picture) and their red-colored eyes, they are of a distinctly different breed than most dogs found in the game. Their appearance more resembles that of a wolf or coyote. While most of them are bred, Antony says the Legion sometimes finds good mongrels in Denver, the Dog City.
NCR guard dogs are widely used by NCR troopers and are similar to the Legion mongrel. They can be seen patrolling Camp Forlorn Hope and HELIOS One (including the shack containing terminal B) with NCR soldiers. In the quest You'll Know It When It Happens, if you have the Animal Friend perk, Ranger Stevens will agree to lend his dog to the player, allowing him to discover the undercover member of Caesar's Legion with the detonator for the bomb placed aboard Bear Force One.
Vicious dogs are a nearly hairless species of wasteland canine with a close similarity to pit bulls. Ruthless survivors of the wastes, these starving, irradiated mutts will attack anything that moves, including you, unless you have acquired the Animal Friendperk. Vicious dogs are also known to hunt in packs.
The vicious dogs in Fallout: New Vegas resemble the ones featured in Fallout 3, as well as the guard dogs used by the NCR, and Fiend guard dogs used by Violet.
Wild dogs and large wild dogs can be found near the NCRCF. They are rarely hostile and will only attack the player if they get too close or if the player first provokes them by attacking them or one of their pack.
White Legs mongrels appear throughout the Zion Canyon, accompanying members of the White Legs tribe and will attack the player on sight. They are identical to the Legion mongrel, which implies that Caesar may have given them to the tribe to aid in destroying New Canaan. White Legs mongrels will not attack on sight with the Animal Friend perk.
↑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."
