How to tame a dog in Enshrouded

Enshrouded’s Souls of the Frozen Frontier update brought more than just the chilly mountains of the Albaneve Summits. Fans of the survival crafter can now tame dogs, but finding and befriending them is trickier than simply showing up to the pound like in real life.

That’s right: You can have your very own Fido in the survival crafter, but first you need to fetch him. Dogs are one of the types of animals that can be tamed in Enshrouded, alongside cats, goats, and yak. And like those other creatures, these canines are timid and will run away from you if you don’t properly build up trust with them first. Taming a dog in Enshrouded requires a bit of patience—and a whole lot of Dog Food Bait.

This screenshot from Enshrouded shows readers what a tamable dog looks like as well as its description. — You can’t help but be a dog person after reading that description. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Here’s how to tame a dog in Enshrouded.

Dog Food Bait recipe

The first step to catching a dog in Embervale is to rescue the Farmer. You’ll need good ol’ Emily Fray before you can get yourself a pooch. The Farmer helps you craft Dog Food Bait, the item needed to get dogs to trust you, so if you’re still in the early stages of the game and haven’t yet unlocked all of the craftspeople, you’ll need to do that first. The Farmer can be found at the Ancient Vault – Farmer, which is north of the Springlands Ancient Spire, and you’ll need to complete the vault’s puzzle, add her to your base, and give her a sheltered bed before she’ll craft anything for you.

A screenshot from Enshrouded shows readers what the ingredients are for Dog Food Bait, including different types of meat and berries. — It’s a meat medley. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Once she’s joined your entourage and you’ve met her requirements, it’s time to get to crafting. Speak to her and you’ll see the recipe for Dog Food Bait, what looks like a ball of diced meat with purple berries sticking out of it. Here are all the ingredients needed to make such a foul-looking feast:

1 Raw Lean Meat – Dropped by goats and rabbits in the Springlands and Low Meadows
2 Raw Wolf Meat – Dropped by wolves in the Springlands and Low Meadows
1 Raw Game – Dropped by boars around Revelwood
1 Dried Purple Berry – Made with Purple Berries at a Drying Rack (crafted by the Hunter)

Crafting one set of Dog Food Bait yields 10 balls of meat, which should be plenty for our four-legged friend. After you’ve crafted your bait, equip it to your hotbar and open up your map: it’s time to locate our pooch.

Where to find a dog

Although there are several different dogs in Enshrouded, the first one you’ll be tasked with finding is located in Revelwood—in a town called Thornhold, to be exact. This location can be found southeast of the Revelwood Ancient Spire and northwest of the Pillars of Creation, as shown on the map below.

A map from Enshrouded shows readers exactly where they can find the tamable dog in the survival crafter. — Head to Thornhold when you’re ready to catch your four-legged friend. Screenshot by Dot Esports

I recommend reaching at least level 11 before you set off; the dog we’re looking for is located in a scavenger camp full of enemies around this same level. There’s quite a few enemies too, and given how tedious it can be to tame an animal, you’ll want to clear the entire camp to avoid getting sidetracked with combat.

You’ll find a Yellow Labrador to the southeast of this village, in an area that’s slightly elevated with a couple of cages.

Now that you’ve found your dog, it’s time to get to taming. Approach it with your Dog Food Bait and follow these steps:

Sneak towards the dog by clicking the LS button on controller or C on PC.
Carefully approach the animal the animal and press X on controller or the left mouse button to toss your bait in front of it.
Eventually, the dog will begin approaching the bait.
- You might need to throw another bait if it takes more than a couple of seconds.
Once the animal starts eating the bait, slowly sneak approach it from behind.
- If a yellow question mark appears above its head, turn around and back away. Wait for the question mark to disappear before attempting approaching again.
If you get close enough to the dog, the game will prompt you to pet it. A red heart will then appear over its head.
Back away from the animal and repeat the process one more time.
- If a red exclamation point appears over the dog’s head, back away from it. If you don’t, it will startle, and your progress will reset.

The player character wearing a goofy purple royal outfit crouches in front of a yellow Labrador dog in Enshrouded. — A yellow question mark means you need to back away. Screenshot by Dot Esports

If you’ve successfully filled all of the dog’s hearts, you’ll be able to pick it up. This action will add it to your inventory, and you’ll then be able to take it home and place it in your base like you would any normal NPC.

Placing a Dog Bowl and bed

At this point in the game, you know the drill: Every time you place an NPC in your base, you need to give them a sheltered bed. It’s no different for animals—but the only exception is that you also need to feed them. Just like how you crafted the Dog Food Bait, you’ll need to head to Emily Fray once more to get her to craft you some puppy chow and a nice fluffy dog bed.

A Dog Bowl requires one Wood Log, whereas a Dog Pillow requires two Wood Logs, four Plant Fiber, and two Torn Cloth. Dog Food requires a lot less meat than its bait version (just one Raw Game and four Dried Purple Berries this time around), so it should be much easier to craft. Interact with the bowl to add the puppy chow, and your dog should interact with it and begin eating.

Don’t forget to pet your dog every now and again. While it doesn’t benefit the dog, it does give you the Paw’s Touch buff, which grants you an additional 25 health for a whopping 30 minutes. It’s a perfect way to prepare for your next adventure.