Dogs imo while cute don’t do much. Sure, they’re useful for things like hunting and make monotonous tasks such as getting wood less boring but other than that, they either follow you or just sit still like lawn ornaments. This has made me forget sometimes that I even had a dog and caused them to die without me knowing until much later. This is why I was thinking of also adding a free roam mode which would be called ‘Explore’. So you can tell your pet ‘(Name), go explore!’ and they would freely roam around for a certain amount of time before returning to their owner. When they return they have a chance of bringing you back gifts. These would be things like a short shaft, a rabbit, a fish, a spool of thread, a sharp stone, etc. During this time you wouldn’t have to worry much about keeping them fed as they would scavenge for food on their own while exploring. Of course, it shouldn’t be that convenient so when they come back their food meter would be at 50% as the food they find while out isn’t much to sustain them for long which is why they return to you when they’re tired and hungry. I feel like this mode could be beneficial for players who don’t want their dog getting in the ways of tasks but at the same time don’t want them just sitting around either. Plus, I think seeing a dog or two roaming around your village can help liven things up and add to the atmosphere.
have you used a schnauzer for treasure hunt in the badlands? i like to do that with my dog =). but you need a shovel 
i like your idea the dogs can roaming around freely and bring stuff back to you =)
4 Likes
I have, I just thought this would be a fun new feature tho 
3 Likes
yes indeed
1 Like
How long would it take for them to return? Maybe they should sometimes bring back stuff like an old boot or a stick. 
1 Like
I was thinking like 5 minutes irl time. Though you can still call them back at any time.
1 Like
No matter how far away you are from them?
1 Like