OSRS dogs and puppies: the complete companion guide to breeds, growing and POH menagerie

How to get a dog in OSRS

Dogs are obtained through the A Ruff Situation quest, which launches in September 2026 (subject to the 14 August poll). After completing the quest, you can obtain a puppy from Talia's Dog Shelter, south of the Asgarnia Monastery. The puppy is a follower that grows into a fully grown dog over time.

The growing mechanic is similar to the kitten/cat system from Gertrude's Cat, but with a key difference: you do not need to constantly feed your puppy. If you stop feeding it, growth simply pauses. This means you can keep a puppy indefinitely without it running away or becoming unhappy. When you want it to grow, just feed it regularly over a few hours until it reaches adulthood.

You can own multiple dogs at once — they can all live in the POH Menagerie. This is a significant improvement over the cat system, where you can only own one cat at a time. Dog owners can collect different breeds and colours, creating a virtual kennel in their Player-Owned House.

All 11 dog breeds

The announcement lists 11 breeds of dogs available in OSRS. Each breed has its own unique appearance, and within each breed there may be colour variations. The breeds are: Chihuahua (small, energetic), Collie (medium, long-haired), Corgi (short-legged, popular), Greyhound (tall, sleek), Husky (fluffy, wolf-like), Labrador (medium, friendly), Pug (small, wrinkled face), Samoyed (white, fluffy), Spaniel (medium, floppy ears), Shepherd (large, working dog), Shiba (fox-like, independent), and Yorkie (tiny, long-haired).

The exact in-game models and colour variations are expected to be shown closer to the September 2026 launch. The breeds are based on real-world dog breeds, which the community has responded positively to. The breed selection is diverse, covering small, medium, and large dogs to suit different player preferences.

It is not yet confirmed how you choose or obtain specific breeds. Options may include: random assignment (like cats), choice at the shelter, or different NPCs for different breeds. This will be clearer when the quest launches.

• Small breeds: Chihuahua, Pug, Yorkie, Shiba.
• Medium breeds: Corgi, Spaniel, Labrador, Samoyed, Collie.
• Large breeds: Shepherd, Greyhound, Husky.

POH Menagerie and multi-dog ownership

The Player-Owned House Menagerie is being expanded to support dogs alongside cats. You can own multiple dogs of different breeds simultaneously, all living in the Menagerie. This is a significant upgrade from the current system, which only supports one cat at a time.

If you have a Menagerie already built, it should automatically support dogs. If you do not have one, you will need to build it (requires 37 Construction and a pet house, which is built from marble blocks and other materials). The Menagerie can hold multiple pets, making it the central hub for all your OSRS companions.

The Menagerie expansion is likely to be a free update alongside the quest, not a separate poll question. It is a natural extension of the existing pet-housing system.

Clue hunting companion: dig for treasure trail steps

One of the most practical features of fully grown dogs is their ability to dig for treasure trail steps. Instead of carrying a spade in your inventory, you can simply use your dog to dig at the clue location. This saves one inventory slot and removes the risk of forgetting your spade.

The Bloodhound pet — currently the rarest pet in the game (1/1,000 from master clues) — also gains this ability. This makes the Bloodhound significantly more useful as a follower, as it now has a practical function beyond just being a flex. The Bloodhound digging animation is expected to be unique and fitting for the pet.

This change is poll question 4 in the August 14 poll. If passed, it will be implemented alongside the quest in September 2026.