I have researched much about dogs of the era. Specifically hunting dogs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_hunting#The_hound

Four main breed of hunting for the era

greyhound.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhound


alaunt(mastiff )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_Shepherd_Dog


running-hound (foxhound)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxhound


lymer (Blood hound)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodhound


I propose they be kept inside the stable along side of the horse. That they are randomly obtained, and the knight who finds one can either sell it like a horse on the open market, or claim it and train it. Training increases at random percentages, and when full the dog can hunt. Random catches are obtained in each hunt equal to the value of a fish or a stock item. As well the dog can offer an individual knight a 5% increase in attacking in an army battle. Not in a duel, or street brawl.

I further propose that the dog have moral that goes up and down by 2% a day. That the knight can daily pet the dog, bath the dog, let play with other dogs, and play with the dog to raise the moral. Moral will effect likelihood of any hunt, and reduces the effect in an army battle.

I propose it cost 5 wood to claim and keep the dog. The age range of the dog should be 100- 160. At the end of the animals age they can be terminated by the knight, and the meat of the dog utilized as stock amount. For those players who are more squeamish they can just let it rot away and disappear.

I believe this would add a new dimension to KH. More interactivity, and further interest. I believe such a proposal would be beneficial to the game as a whole. Should fit mostly into already established coding.

My question is that having a certain breed have any advantages to a knight? Like for instance, one breed may be suitable for fights another could be both strong as hunters and fighters and so on.

As an aside, there was an enormous controversy regarding the non-repatriation of Australian army dogs from Vietnam. Eventually the army changed its policy and now repatriates dogs back to Australia (from Iraq, Afghanastan, Timor etc.)

http://svc029.wic009tp.server-web.com/history/vietnam/dogs.html


My question is: Mastiffs were used in battle, whilst the others used in hunting, should therefore a mastiff breed have a higher battle effect (and no food effect)? All dogs historically had a scouting benefit, though the bloodhound would be best at that, I imagine.

Eventually yes I hope we can adapt this for far more. Including disease into the game... *grins devilishly* First a simple beginning right? So we may have a quick manner to begin this? To over complicate by seperating to much, and adding to much will make it more complicated for coding right? I was thinking at first coding only two types of dogs. I think the ideal breeds would be lymer and the alaunt. These are both the most historically correct, and also the ones considered extinct now. As well the most versatile. Yes Smelger you see where I would love this project to go eventually. Grey hounds for instance wouldn't be great so much in battle. As I told Majestic I have a lot of projects I have in my head. The problem is I am not a coder! I do know basics of coding, but also know the simpler the object to code the easier. The easier the faster we all can get to play with it and test it. So I have tried to break this down to the basics to begin with, and hope that it takes off. Ideally yes the dogs would extend site of the scouts/spies, One breed would be better at hunting. One breed would be better in battle. The fourth would be a more middle ground of all attributes.

From what I saw here not sure if dogs will bite the knights or the last ones will bite the dogs..

We had enough bites so far and I feel sorry for the poor dogs to share the same fate.. More than that some Associations for Animals Protection could protest against such bad treatments applied to the dogs, even I wonder nobody protest in case of the humans..

If not used in the fights (battles, duels, S, but only as companion, I agree it's an wonderful idea. It can be used as a gift, not sure what happen in divorce cases.

No more would complain than already do with out stock (As in livestock horses cattle pige chickens.) Thus they have no room to start now.

But they will have if people will bite the poor dogs ( they bite me a few times, I know that can be painful )

We use stock for eating purposes, not bite them.. erm, in fact we take a bite when we eat them, but already dead, they won't suffer from that, while chasing around the poor dogs, bite them sounds pretty horror to me.

Why not having them as animal companions? With 1 month premium you can pick such companions from a list, can be granted as prizes in various contests and can be used as gift. Imagine the RP when knees before a beautiful lady and says: I have a gift for you, mon tresor!
I hate that right now in RP we can make only imaginary gifts and everybody offer all the stars on the sky on every occasion, because it costs nothing!
That's why I propose rings and dogs as possible RP gifts. You cannot marry properly without a ring and you cannot conquer the chosen one heart without making a sensible gift, as a dog.

I do believe we shouldn't say how they actually would fight. For all a knight would know the dogs did trip them.

You can have dogs in the homeside besides. Anyways it's a good idea to have them more present just as a horse. Though I share Gregory's doubts of their use in fights.

Great it would be nice to have something more diverse. To their use. Well eventually like I said I would like to see disease and those fiefs that are specialized put to more of an active career use. Consider it obtaining more of a RL feel for the game. More variation, and surely more accurate. As back in the era they did use them in war, but this is also why I propose to keep the effect in war fair rather smaller. but eventually grey hounds would help catch rats that spread the plague.