OSRS A Ruff Situation quest guide 2026: walkthrough, puppy rewards and every dog breed
A Ruff Situation is a Novice, members-only quest released on 8 September 2026 in the 'A Ruff Situation & Crab Quest' update. It needs 15 Crafting, a needle (or costume needle), thread and a piece of fur (bear, gray wolf, fox or plain fur — Baraek in Varrock Square sells it for 20 coins), and two level 22/23 outlaws to fight. You start by talking to Talia at the dog shelter camp south-west of the Edgeville Monastery (combat bracelet or skull sceptre teleport is quickest). The quest sends you after a stray dog in Varrock whose puppies were taken, leads you to Picklenose and the goblins, and has you craft a stuffed dog (use grain on fur with needle and thread) to trade for the missing puppy. Rewards: 1 quest point, 1,000 Crafting XP, and access to puppies that grow into pet dogs — Labrador, Pug and Spaniel are free, and up to ten more breeds (Chihuahua, Border Collie, Corgi, Greyhound, Husky, Samoyed, Bernese Mountain Dog, Shiba and Yorkie among them) can be found wandering around Gielinor. The dog news post also describes your puppy as a companion that can help you dig for Treasure Trail steps.
Key takeaways
- Released 8 September 2026 with Crab Quest; Novice difficulty, short length, members only.
- Requirements: 15 Crafting, needle + thread + fur (Baraek sells it), and two level 22-23 outlaws to defeat.
- Start: Talia at the shelter camp south-west of the Edgeville Monastery.
- The stuffed dog is made by using grain (picked north of the Cooks' Guild) on fur with a needle and thread.
- Rewards: 1 quest point, 1,000 Crafting XP and the puppy pet system — Labrador, Pug and Spaniel by default.
- Ten further breeds roam Gielinor: Chihuahua, Border Collie, Corgi, Greyhound, Husky, Samoyed, Bernese Mountain Dog, Shiba and more.
What A Ruff Situation is
A Ruff Situation is a Novice members' quest released on 8 September 2026 as part of the same update as Crab Quest. It is a light-hearted story about two shelter workers, Talia and Chase, who set up a dog shelter at Ice Mountain and need help finding stray dogs — including the puppies of a very determined stray in Varrock.
It is a short quest with no combat beyond two low-level outlaws, and its lasting value is the reward: it unlocks puppies that can be grown into pet dogs, a whole new collection category for pet hunters. The official news post also highlights that your puppy can help you dig for Treasure Trail steps, which makes it a genuinely useful early-game companion for clue hunters.
The quest was the biggest topic on the OSRS Wiki on release day, with the quest page rewritten several times on 8 September — which is why a full 2026 guide is useful.
Requirements and items
The only skill requirement is 15 Crafting. You also need a needle or costume needle, thread, and a piece of fur — bear fur, gray wolf fur, fox fur or plain fur all work, and Baraek in Varrock Square sells fur for 20 coins. Grain is picked up during the quest just north of the Cooks' Guild, so do not buy it in advance.
There are two enemies to defeat: a level 22 outlaw and a level 23 outlaw, both at the outlaws' camp south-west of the monastery. They are weak, but the quest gives you the option of letting the stray dog fight them for you — it can win, it is just slow.
Recommended: a quick teleport to the starting camp. A combat bracelet (Monastery teleport) or skull sceptre (Monastery) puts you right next to it; otherwise a Varrock teleport plus a short run works.
Walkthrough part 1: the missing puppies
Talk to Talia at the camp south-west of the Edgeville Monastery. She explains that the shelter needs help finding stray dogs and suggests asking Gertrude, the famous cat-lady of Varrock. Head to Gertrude's house just south of the Cooks' Guild — after some dialogue about the shelter only caring for dogs now, she mentions a mangy dog barking near the Varrock west bank.
Go slightly north-east to the stray dog south of the west bank. The guard nearby explains she is usually friendly but has been gone for weeks, and suggests following her. Follow the dog to the house just west of Thessalia's Fine Clothes, inspect the torn newspaper, chewed box and rough bedding, and you discover her puppies are missing — the dog runs off again.
Follow her through the Varrock bank (a banker tries to shoo her out) to a spot just north of the Cooks' Guild, where a cutscene shows Picklenose the goblin trying to catch a puppy. He flees when he sees the bigger dog. Interact with the dog again to make sure she follows you — note that you cannot have a pet out while she is following you.
Walkthrough part 2: the stuffed dog
Go to the west side of the Cooks' Guild and talk to Picklenose, who is standing among the goblins. He reveals the goblins are training the puppies as guard dogs for Goblin Village, but have no idea how to care for them. Your character suggests a stuffed dog instead.
Make the stuffed dog: use grain on the fur with a needle and thread (or costume needle) in your inventory. The grain can be picked just north of the Cooks' Guild. Give it to Picklenose — the goblins love it and hand over the puppy.
The stray dog signals there is still one more puppy missing. Follow her through a winding route that ends at the outlaws' camp entrance, triggering a cutscene. Defeat the two outlaws (level 22 and level 23) — or let the dog handle them while you keep out of the way. The final cutscene brings the puppies home to the shelter, and the quest is complete.
Rewards and how the puppy mechanic works
You get 1 quest point and 1,000 Crafting XP, but the real reward is access to puppies. Puppies can be grown into dogs (pets): Labrador, Pug and Spaniel are available by default after the quest, and ten further breeds are scattered around the world as lost dogs that can be brought back to the shelter.
The official news post describes the puppy as a companion that can help you dig for Treasure Trail steps — a quality-of-life boost for clue hunters who dig at map-marked spots. It is a small bonus, but it makes the quest worth doing early for anyone who plans to run Treasure Trails.
For collectors, the breeds act like a mini pet-hunting category: each breed is a separate pet with its own look, and gathering all of them is a satisfying mid-game goal that costs nothing but travel time.
Collecting the lost breeds
Ten additional breeds are available beyond the default three. Each has a vast wandering radius, but the wiki's release-day research pinned their home areas: the Chihuahua hangs around Uzer Oasis (near the cooking range, the hill north of it, or south by the dungeon entrance); the Border Collie circles the Crafting Guild and Dark Wizards' Tower; the Corgi wanders between Aemad's Adventuring Supplies in East Ardougne and the bank to the north; the Greyhound roams south of the Woodcutting Guild down to the southern coast; and the Husky stays east of Wintertodt in the Fishing Hamlet.
Further afield: the Samoyed wanders the Hardwood Grove north-east of Tai Bwo Wannai in Karamja; the Bernese Mountain Dog roams north-east of Rellekka between the town's east border, Olaf and the Keldagrim entrance; the Shiba is found around the Pyre fox hunting spot in Avium Savannah; and the tiny Yorkie lurks on The Great Conch, west of the marketplace, often inside houses and easy to miss.
Our full dog breed guide has the complete list with locations and tips for catching each one — and the Treasure Trails beginner guide explains what your puppy can do for clue diggers.
Questions players ask
How do I start A Ruff Situation?+
Talk to Talia at the dog shelter camp south-west of the Edgeville Monastery. A combat bracelet or skull sceptre Monastery teleport puts you right next to it.
What level do I need for A Ruff Situation?+
15 Crafting is the only skill requirement. You also need a needle or costume needle, thread and a piece of fur (Baraek sells it in Varrock Square for 20 coins).
How long is A Ruff Situation?+
Short — it is a Novice quest with two parts, no dungeon and only two weak enemies (a level 22 and a level 23 outlaw).
What are the rewards for A Ruff Situation?+
1 quest point, 1,000 Crafting XP, and access to puppies that grow into pet dogs — Labrador, Pug and Spaniel by default, plus ten more breeds to find.
Does the puppy really help with Treasure Trails?+
The official news post says your puppy can help you dig for Treasure Trail steps, making it a useful early companion for clue hunting.
What happens if I have a pet out during the quest?+
You cannot have a pet out while the stray dog is following you — dismiss it or bank it before the follow sections, or the dog may stop following.
Sources and verification
These references support the game mechanic or live-data boundary described above. Check the current source before a large in-game decision.
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