I do not own the Fallout series.
AN: Second chapter, this time about the various good boys of the Wasteland.
Dogs
Man's best friend. Those were the words used to describe Dogs (Canis Familiaris) in the Back-When times before The Great War. An idea that continues into the modern day. Dogs are a common sight in the Wasteland; from feral packs that scavenge urban ruins for food to traveling companions for wanderers and mercenaries. Descended from their cousins, the vicious Grey Wolves, Dogs have been domesticated for some 15,000 years, the first animal to ever be domesticated and predating even the discovery of agriculture.
Dogs are easily identified due to being quadrupedal canines with upturned tails that can convey emotion. While they vary wildly in terms of size and shape across differing breeds, certain attributes remain constant regardless of subspecies. Dogs have heightened senses, far beyond what humans are capable of. They can hear frequencies that our ears aren't able to register, can track certain smells across vast distances, and are even able to sense and possible even see, the earth's magnetic field.
Dogs are hardy creatures, playful and loyal, but fierce when it comes to combat. When fighting, Dogs will use their powerful jaws and front claws to maul their enemies, with larger breeds even capable of wrestling full grown men to the ground. Even raiders and groups like The Gunners or Caesar's Legion have dog soldiers in their ranks. If you come across a Dog in your travels and it's not too feral, you can tame it and get not only a good traveling companion, but a friend for life.
Variants
There exists multiple breeds of Dogs across the Wasteland, varying wildly in terms of size, shape and temperament. Some were born from selective breeding by humans to encourage the spread of ideal genetic traits for certain purposes, such as hunting, herding, or even simply for companionship. Others have formed from the rampant spread of radiation and disease caused by the Great War and over two centuries of limited human interference. And others still were formed not from genetic tampering, but with cybernetic augmentation by various Pre and Post-War scientists.
Common
These Dogs are mostly unmutated or diseased and have changed little in the 200+ years since The Great War. They are a common sight in Post-War America, whether as farm dogs out to guard livestock, or traveling companions for mercenaries and scavengers. Popular breeds include German Shepherds, Dalmatians, and Rottweilers.
Feral
These Dogs are easily recognizable due to their patchy fur, emaciated appearance, disfigurement and bad attitudes. Most suffer from some form or combination of Mange, Rabies, radiation poisoning and even Ghoulification. Most of these twisted pooches can be found roaming urban ruins in packs of three to six, scavenging for what food they can find and killing any poor scavenger that crosses their path. Despite being regarded as feral, however, some remnant of their ancestors' domesticated disposition remains, and some of these mongrels can be tamed by settlers and raiders alike.
Mutant Hounds
A Mutant Hound is a Dog that has been exposed to the Forced Evolutionary Virus. (See ''Other FEV Creatures" page for more details).
Cyber-Dogs
On the West Coast, from New California to the Mojave Wasteland, you'll find Dogs that have been augmented with advanced cybernetics. Where these Dogs come from is a mystery, some believe them to be Pre-War military experiments from the fabled "Big Empty", but that's up for debate. They're still tamable and far more long lived than regular Dogs, but the Biogel their brains are encased in has degradative effects if not maintained regular and may call for brain surgery if it gets too severe. Some Cyber-Dogs are equipped with sonic emitters than amplify their barks with enough force to knock a full-grown human to their feet.
Wolves
The ancestors and distant relatives of Dogs, the common Gray Wolf, (Canis Lupis) is still present in the heavily forested areas of Post-War America. The average wolf pack, consisting of usually six members (although some packs have been known to grow up to 30 members) is made up by a breeding pair and their litter, though some packs will include wolves unrelated to the breeding pair.
Top tier hunters and trackers, the Wolf has mastered pack hunting. They are able to take down far larger animals with a level of coordination that rivals professional soldiers. Woe to the unwary wanderer that stumbles onto a Wolf den and is quickly beset by these canids.
Foxes
A forest dwelling canid found throughout Post-War North America, the common Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) is not as dangerous as the Wolf or Feral cur. Living in small family groups - made up of a breeding pair and their litter - Foxes avoid larger animals like Brahmin or Radstags. Instead, they go after smaller prey such as Rabbits and Rats. Settlers should be cautious however; Foxes have been known to break into hen houses and devour the chickens inside. I'd recommend barbed wire fences. Or a turret.
Incredibly clever animals, Foxes are able to share environments with more aggressive predators; such as Yao Guai and Deathclaws through a prolific use of speed, agility and stealth. Fox pelt, while more patchy (mange?) then it was Back-When, it's still a popular trade item for hunters.
Coyotes
Another cousin of the Dog, the Coyote - or Canis Latrans - is desert dwelling canid that lives in a pack structure similar not unlike that of Wolves. Scavengers, as well as hunters, Coyotes like to feed on carrion and Geckos. Like their cousin, the Fox, Coyotes will break into hen houses. Coyote pelts sell fairly well and are a source of income for many hunters out west. While Coyotes may not seem dangerous when compared to Nightstalkers or Golden Geckos, a pack of them can quickly overwhelm an unprepared hunter.
Nightstalkers
A Coyote/Rattlesnake hybrid found in the Mojave Wasteland. See 'Other Abominations' Page for more details.
Dog Trivia
Dogs have a different aging process than humans. A Dog's life span (referred to as Dog Years) is compared to that of a humans. For medium-sized Dogs, 15 human years equals the first year of that Dog's life, year two is 9 years, and every year after is 5 years for a Dog.
Back-When, Dogs were used by military and law enforcement to locate illegal substances and hidden explosives. To mixed success.
There is a common myth that wolves have a hierarchy consisting of an alpha and a beta. This is incorrect and anyone who tells you otherwise is a lying idiot who definitely should have done more research.
Cyber-Dogs are still able to mate and even have a mode for being in heat. For some reason.
When it comes to naming Dogs, creativity seems to have stagnated, as there are several records of Dogs called "Dogmeat" from NCR to The Commonwealth. All German Shepherds too, strangely enough.
In Colorado, in what was once the city of Denver, wilds packs of Dogs have completely overrun the town leading it to be rechristened "Dog Town". Again, very uncreative. Scavengers are forced to build their camps in high-rises to avoid facing the roaming packs of mongrels. Only one tribe - The Hangdogs - were crazy enough to not only settle there, but to tame some of the Dogs, seeing them as holy spirit animals.
Some time before the First Battle of Hoover Dam; Caesar's Legion conquered and assimilated the Hangdogs after a long and resource exhausting campaign, but the payoff was not only another tribe and territory under their banner, but the fierce hounds of Dog Town at their disposal as well.
A high ranking officer in Caesar's Legion named himself after the Desert Fox, the cousin of the forest-dwelling Red Fox. "Vulpes Inculta", as he was referred to, was a skilled tactician and an expert of espionage. He was presumed killed in action during the Securitron raid on The Fort during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam.