The Dog is another pet you can raise in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. While it doesn’t produce any items or help you harvest crops, it plays an important role in protecting your farm and can even participate in a special event!
You’ll get your puppy right at the start of the game, and as time passes, it will grow into a loyal adult dog. With enough affection, your dog can also enter the annual Dog Race Festival.
Growth Stages
When you begin the game, you’ll be introduced to a small puppy. Over time, the puppy will naturally grow into an adult dog.
Your dog has a hidden stat called Intelligence, which starts at 0 and never decreases. This stat affects how well your dog performs in the Dog Race Festival.
You can increase its intelligence by training it with a ball. You can buy this toy ball from Won. Just toss the ball in front of your dog, and it will run to fetch it. Each day you train it, your dog will gain +3 Intelligence points.
To max out its intelligence, you’ll need to train your dog consistently for around 85 days. If you also care for it lovingly each day for about 60 days, its affection will reach the maximum.
Affection System
Your dog’s affection starts at 10 AP (Affection Points). You can increase or decrease this by interacting with it in different ways.
Things like whistling or picking it up will increase its affection, while hitting it with tools or leaving it outside in bad weather will lower it significantly.
Like the horse, affection-raising actions only count once per day. And just like the horse, the dog can’t get sick or die, but negative actions will still affect its trust in you.
Here’s a quick reference table:
| Action | Affection Point |
|---|---|
| Pick up the dog | +2 AP |
| Whistle to the dog | +2 AP |
| Ignore it all day | -1 AP |
| Leave it outside during bad weather | -5 AP |
| Hit the dog with a tool | -10 AP |
Events
Dog Breeding
On Spring 2 of Year 2, Barley will visit your farm to talk about his female dog, Hana. He’s looking for a mate and thinks your dog is a good match.
Your character automatically agrees, and Barley takes your dog to Yodel Ranch for the mating process.
You can visit and interact with your dog at the ranch during this time, but you won’t be able to bring it home until the process is complete.
A week later, Hana gives birth to two puppies. Barley will keep one for himself and ask who should take the other. You’ll have to choose between giving it to Stu or Harris.
Fun fact: While you won’t get to keep the puppy yourself, this event strengthens your bond with the villagers and gives your dog some extra spotlight!
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