Roaming the lands of Pywel is a lot more enjoyable when you have a furry companion trotting alongside you. Crimson Desert introduces a trust-based pet system that lets you turn stray dogs and cats into loyal companions, and some of them will even loot enemies for you mid-combat. Whether you spotted that friendly bulldog near the riverbank at the very start or you're trying to build your collection of up to 30 pets, this guide covers everything you need to know.
How Does the Pet System Work in Crimson Desert?
The pet system in Crimson Desert is built around a trust mechanic. Every animal you encounter starts at zero trust, and you need to push that number to 100 before you can claim it as your companion. Trust increases through two core actions: petting the animal and feeding it. Both methods have daily limits tied to the in-game day cycle, so patience (or time-skipping) is part of the process.
Once trust hits 100, you hold the interaction button to select "Take in", and the animal officially joins your roster under the Pets tab in your inventory menu.
How to Gain Trust by Petting Animals
Petting is the simplest way to build trust, though the daily cap means it alone won't get you to 100 in one sitting.
- Dogs: Walk up and hold the interaction prompt to pet them directly.
- Cats: You need to pick them up first by holding the carry prompt, then press the pet button while holding them.
Each petting action gives +5 trust, and you can pet an animal up to five times per in-game day, maxing out at +25 trust per day from petting alone. Once you hit that cap, you'll need to pass time to reset the daily counter.
How to Gain Trust by Feeding Animals
Feeding is where you can really accelerate the process, especially if you're willing to spend a little coin on quality food. To feed an animal, open your inventory and discard the food onto the ground near the animal. After a moment, it will walk over and eat it.
You can feed an animal three times per in-game day, and the trust reward varies depending on what you offer:
Dogs are far less fussy than cats and respond strongly to fine meat, giving you a massive +35 trust per feeding. Cats are pickier and max out at +10 per feeding regardless of what you give them. Both dogs and cats can be fed at the Grocer's Shop or Butchery in Hernand, located just south of the inn.
Discard food to feed your pet
What's the Fastest Way to Max Out Trust?
Combining petting and feeding on the same in-game day gives you the best results. Here's the maximum trust you can earn in a single day:
- Petting (5x at +5): +25 trust
- Feeding a dog with fine meat (3x at +35): +105 trust
- Feeding a cat (3x at +10): +30 trust
For dogs, it's theoretically possible to hit 100 trust in a single in-game day if you use fine meat for all three feedings and add the petting bonus on top. Cats take longer due to their lower trust cap per feeding, so plan on at least two or three in-game days with consistent effort.
The full patch notes for the day-1 update confirm the current state of the pet system as of launch, so these values reflect the live version of the game.
How Do Pets Help You in Combat and Exploration?
Pets in Crimson Desert are more than just cosmetic companions. Here's what they actually do:
- Dogs loot enemies automatically while summoned, running across the battlefield to collect items from defeated foes.
- Pets do not attack enemies, so don't expect them to fight alongside you.
- Pets have no loot filter, meaning they'll pick up everything, including low-value junk. Expanding your inventory space before relying on auto-looting is a smart move.
- Summoned pets disappear when you mount your horse, so they won't slow down your travel.
- Once you reach Chapter 3, your pets will hang out at your camp when not summoned.
Dogs auto-loot during combat
Where to Find Pet Cosmetics and Clothes
If you want your companion looking sharp, Crimson Desert lets you dress them up with hats, body armor, and full outfits. Two vendors in Pywel sell pet cosmetics:
- A shop in Pororin Village, where the Shai children live. Note that you'll need to find a way to gain entry to the village first.
- A second Pororin store in the southeastern corner of Demeniss.
These shops carry a range of cosmetic items, so your pets can be both useful and stylish on the road.
What Are the Rules for Managing Your Pet Roster?
Once you start collecting companions, a few management rules are worth keeping in mind:
- Access all your pets through the Pets tab in the inventory menu.
- Summon or unsummon any pet from that same tab at any time.
- You can untie a pet from the Pets menu, which permanently removes it from your roster.
- Your pet roster holds a maximum of 30 animals.
- Only one pet can be active at a time.
There is also a side quest worth noting: in Chapter 4, a Greymanes side quest called "The Greymanes' New Fangs" appears under the Scattered Embers tab. Your companion Naira walks you through the process of making a stray dog your companion in this quest. It's unclear whether this quest is required to unlock the pet system entirely or simply serves as a tutorial for it, so completing it early is recommended to avoid any potential progression blocks.
The 3.1GB day-1 patch released by Pearl Abyss addressed several launch issues, so if you experienced any early bugs with the pet system, updating to the latest version should resolve them.
Start Building Your Animal Companion Collection
The pet system in Crimson Desert rewards players who take the time to interact with the world around them. Spending a couple of in-game days with a dog and some fine meat is all it takes to gain a loyal companion who'll help keep your pockets full after every fight. Cats take a bit more patience, but they're absolutely worth it for the collection.
For more tips on surviving and thriving in Pywel, browse more guides covering everything from combat builds to exploration secrets.