The Problem With the “Can I Pet the Dog?” Question

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Creating video games is challenging because everyone has different tastes. What one player finds enjoyable, another might not. Some games are criticized for being too complex, while others are seen as too basic. Developers face a tough job trying to figure out what players want while building their games.

Players often ask if they can interact with dogs in games. While it seems like a silly question for many titles – like *Call of Duty*, *Silksong*, or *Path of Exile*, which don’t usually feature pets – it’s actually surprisingly common. The real problem isn’t the question itself, but that some developers focus too much on the literal meaning and miss the bigger idea behind it.

Why Do Players Care So Much About Video Game Dogs?

The simple question, “Can I pet the dog?” actually points to a surprisingly complex idea in game design. It’s been a topic of discussion among gamers for years, but really took off in 2019 when Tristan Cooper created a Twitter (now X) account to highlight the fact that you couldn’t pet the dogs in *Tom Clancy’s The Division 2*. Cooper, along with many other players, was disappointed that the game didn’t allow for this comforting interaction, and the account was created to express that feeling.

The @CanYouPetTheDog account quickly gained over 500,000 followers and widespread recognition, appearing in articles across the web. This attention led game developers to start including animals players could pet in their games. However, many developers and players seem to have missed the original, playful question behind the account, and it’s ultimately hurting their games.

When A Touchstone Becomes A Metric, Quality is Lost

The problem with constantly asking “Can I pet the dog?” is that it’s become a single standard for judging how good a game is, instead of just one small detail among many. Whether or not a game lets you pet a dog doesn’t really say anything about its overall quality. After a video about this went somewhat viral, some developers started adding dog-petting simply because they felt they *should*, believing it would automatically improve their game – they’d add it and then consider the job done.

But understanding what the question *really* asks makes it even more frustrating when games treat it like a simple checklist item. Essentially, it’s asking: can players truly *do* something in this world, or is it just scenery? A prime example is *Pokemon Scarlet and Violet*. Beyond the technical issues on the original Switch, many players found the huge, open world felt empty. Towns lacked life, with few characters offering only very basic interactions, making the game feel dull and unengaging.

Adding a pet dog wouldn’t have magically fixed the problems with *Scarlet* and *Violet*. It’s more that including little details like dog-petting shows the developers were thinking about creating a vibrant and detailed world, going beyond just the main story and adding depth in many different ways.

Games like *Hades* and *Hades 2* demonstrate this well. Beyond simple interactions like petting the dog, they offer unique and engaging ways to connect with characters, changing based on how you play and your relationships with them. Developers who prioritize creating immersive and believable game worlds focus on a key question to achieve this.

What Is the Question Game Makers Should Be Asking?

Successful game developers don’t just focus on a few flashy details, like letting players pet animals. They strive to create truly believable game worlds. They ask themselves, “What would people realistically do in this world?” A perfect example is *Baldur’s Gate 3*. The developers didn’t stop at simple interactions; they anticipated a huge range of player choices and programmed the game to react accordingly, making the world feel incredibly dynamic and responsive.

The subtle details and unexpected moments in the game make it truly immersive, going beyond simply letting you explore the world to making you feel like a part of it. When developers allow players to both influence and be affected by the game environment, it draws them in and makes them genuinely care about what happens.

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2025-09-18 23:10