My "Stray Dog" adopted me in The Reach on a mountain top after I assisted her in dealing with some wolves. She killed me. LMFAO! I was standing on the edge of a very high cliff looking for a way down ... The bugger pushed me and over I went! Anyway, she was still with me and I did just one dungeon dive before I was fed up with her barking and rushing to attack when I wanted stealth. I bade her, "wait" in my Breezehome while I went out and did another sneak job. She was gone when I returned. Hummph! I was only away for half a day. Damn useless. I'll never have another dog if I have any say in the matter. I have my doubts about Lydia too. She is almost as bad as the dog for rushing into a fight. She whips out her sword and runs at the enemy when I am attempting stealthy archery. Pain in the butt. Need I say that Lydia gets left at home a lot these days.

found the stay dog once just outside falkreath.

i was doing the clavicus vile quest with the other dog.


I like the idea of a solid companion. if only they would stop bumping into me when i am using my bow or jumping infront of me when i am power attacking some overlord.

I love Lydia and i have had to reload more times than i can count (i can count pretty high) just to have her alive.

there are many times when i think of Lydia as just a pretty pack mule.

It took me a while to realize it was following me but judging by estimated finding location it was very random. Somewhere near Helgen, up in the mountains.

Thanks for all the stories about your encounters with Stray Dog.

I see some people are still confusing Meeko and Barbas with the Stray Dog. There is no quest, no name, and there are no marked locations associated with Stray Dog.



The latest on my Stray Dog:

As i said In my previous post, I told him to stay at my house in Riften. I had taken him down into the basemant and there he stayed and there he was everytime I went and looked in the basemant. Then while out on the road somewhere, I got the message that Stray Dog was tired of waiting and is going home. I figured the basemant in the Riften house would be empty when I returned. I was wrong. There was Stray Dog still in the basemant. But ... the 'Talk To' command did not work. "Oh well" I thought. So thus I now have a permanent pet.

Some time passed. Several quests later I returned to Riften. This time when I went into the basemant the 'Talk' worked. The 'Follow me' command showed up again. I have not yet tested it to see if it works but I don't see why it wouldn't.

That's really cool. And yeah, that's the same house I used when he walked out on me.

I'm going to be all over the Pet mods that are surely coming. I want a pet bunny in my house.

Barbas was okay for a while... But he was too pushy. And he kept knocking my stuff around.

Is there ANY way to get back the stray dog? Where does he "return" to when he's too tired of waiting?

I have heard, but have not personally verified, that Stray Dog goes back to the location where you first met him.

Has anyone tested this?

Bark bark bark bark bark. Bark bark bark bark bark. all night long. I let him go. I'm a sneak-thief. I have enough problems with neighbors now. The guards say they hear howling coming from my house, fur growing out of my ears, that I smell like a wet dog, have a wolfish grin that makes them uneasy as it is.

Then dont use Followers. Theres no use i complaining about game features that you can easily just ignore. If youre a melee character i see no problems what so ever in bringing along an archer type companion or another melee follower. I prefer taking on large groups of enemies with a follower, especially at some bandit hideouts where you can easily be swarmed by 4 or 5 enemies.