Exploring the vast continent of Pywel is a lot more enjoyable with a loyal companion trotting alongside you. Crimson Desert features a trust-based pet system that lets you turn stray dogs and cats into permanent companions who will even loot enemies for you during combat. This guide covers everything you need to know, from raising trust to feeding mechanics, pet cosmetics, and how to get your first companion as fast as possible.
Crimson Desert Pet System Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Pet Types | Dogs and Cats confirmed |
| Trust Required | 100 trust points |
| Max Pets | 30 total |
| Active Pets at Once | 1 only |
| Daily Petting Limit | 5 times per day (+25 trust) |
| Daily Feeding Limit | 3 times per day |
| Pet Function | Auto-loot from enemy corpses and ground resources |
| Pet Storage | Pets tab in inventory menu |
| Cosmetics Available | Yes, from Pororin Village and Demeniss stores |
What Animals Can Become Pets?
Currently, dogs and cats are the confirmed companion animals in Crimson Desert. Both can be found roaming freely once you reach Hernand Town in the early game. Other animals such as cows, sheep, and chickens can be interacted with but cannot be petted or taken in as companions. Your horse also counts as a companion mount and can be summoned to your side by pressing Up on the D-Pad on controller, though it operates through a separate trust system.
How to Raise Trust by Petting
Petting is the most straightforward way to build trust with any animal. The process differs between dogs and cats:
- Dogs: Approach the dog and press and hold the interaction button to pet it directly. Dogs are forgiving and rarely run, even if you approach quickly.
- Cats: Hold the carry button prompt to pick the cat up first, then press the pet button while holding it. Cats can be startled and will flee if you move too fast or approach from the wrong angle. Always approach cats slowly and from the front or side. If a cat runs away, wait 5 to 10 seconds for it to calm down and reset before trying again.
Each petting action awards plus 5 trust. You can pet any animal up to five times per in-game day, giving a maximum of plus 25 trust per day through petting alone. Once you reach that daily cap, you need to pass time until the next in-game day to continue.
How to Raise Trust by Feeding
Feeding is where you can significantly accelerate the trust-building process, particularly for dogs. To feed an animal, open your inventory and discard the food item onto the ground near the animal. After a moment it will walk over and eat it. You can feed an animal up to three times per in-game day.
Here is the confirmed trust gained per food type along with approximate costs and where to find each item:
| Animal | Food Type | Trust Gained | Approx. Cost | Where to Get |
| Dog | Tough Meat | +10 | 50 to 100 gold | Hernand Grocer or Butchery |
| Dog | Fine Meat | +35 | 300 to 500 gold | Hernand Butchery, south of inn |
| Cat | Bird Meat | +10 | ~100 gold | Hunting birds or Grocer |
| Cat | Fish | +10 | ~150 gold | Fishing spots or market |
| Cat | Milk | +10 | ~50 gold | Hernand Grocer or farm crates |
Dogs respond extremely well to Fine Meat, giving a massive plus 35 trust per feeding. Fine Meat is pricier but absolutely worth the investment for dogs since it allows you to reach 100 trust in a single day when combined with petting. For cats, Milk is the most efficient early-game option due to its low cost and availability at the Hernand Grocer. Stock up on Milk before starting a trust-building session with a cat to avoid unnecessary trips back to the shop.
One important thing to note: when dropping food in villages or populated areas, nearby NPCs or other animals may pick it up before your target does. Position yourself close to the specific animal and drop the food carefully.
Maximum Trust You Can Earn Per Day
Combining petting and feeding on the same in-game day gives you the best possible results. Here is the maximum trust you can build in a single day:
| Action | Trust Gained |
| Petting 5 times | +25 |
| Feeding a dog with Fine Meat 3 times | +105 |
| Feeding a cat with any food 3 times | +30 |
For dogs, it is theoretically possible to reach 100 trust in a single in-game day if you use Fine Meat for all three feedings and add the full petting bonus on top. Cats take longer due to the lower trust cap per feeding, so expect at least two to three in-game days of consistent effort.
The Fastest Way to Get Your First Pet
The fastest method to claim a pet involves timing around the in-game midnight reset:
- Locate a dog in Hernand Town, which is one of the most accessible early-game areas.
- Feed the animal twice and pet it three times before midnight in the same in-game day.
- Once the in-game clock hits midnight and the daily counter resets, immediately repeat the feeding and petting process.
- Combining both sessions gives you enough trust to reach 100 without needing to manually skip time.
If you do not have Fine Meat yet, use the Pass Time feature at a camp or inn to advance through in-game days as an alternative. This is particularly useful for cats where feeding trust gains are lower regardless of food type.
How to Take In a Pet and Summon It
Once an animal reaches 100 trust, a prompt appears to take it in as your companion. Hold the interaction button and select “Take In” to officially add the animal to your roster.
After claiming a pet, here is how to manage it:
- Open your inventory and navigate to the Pets tab.
- Select any pet from the tab to summon it directly beside you.
- To unsummon a pet, return to the Pets tab and deselect it.
- To permanently remove a pet from your roster, select the “Untie” option in the Pets menu. This action is permanent and cannot be reversed, so only untie pets you are certain you no longer want.
What Do Pets Actually Do?
Pets in Crimson Desert are genuinely useful companions beyond their appearance. Here is exactly what they contribute:
- Auto-loot from enemy corpses: Dogs and cats run across the battlefield after combat to collect items from fallen enemies, freeing you to focus on the next fight rather than manually looting every body.
- Passive resource gathering: Companions also collect ground items during exploration, including herbs for alchemy, flowers, and small ore nodes, helping you accumulate crafting materials without stopping.
- No attack ability: Pets do not fight enemies and will not contribute to combat directly. They are purely support companions focused on looting and gathering.
- No loot filter: Pets pick up everything including low-value junk. Auto-loot fills your inventory fast during long fights or exploration sessions. Sell junk regularly at vendors or deposit items at storage chests in camps and towns to avoid over-encumbrance.
- Teleport back when you stop or dismount: If you outpace your companion while moving, it will disappear temporarily and teleport back to your side when you slow down, pause, or dismount your horse. There is no permanent loss if your pet vanishes during travel.
- Wait at camp when unsummoned: Once you unlock your camp in Chapter 3, your camp acts as a safe hub for your full pet roster. Unsummoned companions rest there safely and can be re-summoned at any time from the Pets tab.
The Greymanes’ New Fangs Quest
There is a Greymanes side quest called “The Greymanes’ New Fangs” available from Chapter 4 onward, found in the Scattered Embers tab. Your companion Naira walks you through the process of gaining a stray dog’s trust and taking it in. A Brown Dog becomes available as the pet reward at the end of the quest.
This quest is not required to unlock the pet system. You can independently claim pets in Hernand from the early game without completing it. However, completing it is still recommended since it provides a clear tutorial and gives you a confirmed Brown Dog companion as a free reward. Even if you already have pets by Chapter 4, the quest is worth doing for the guaranteed companion.
Where to Find Pet Cosmetics and Clothing
Crimson Desert lets you dress up your companions with hats, body armour, and full outfits. There are two known vendors selling pet cosmetic items:
- A shop in Pororin Village, where the Shai children live. You need to find a way to gain entry to the village before accessing this shop, which requires early story progress or finding the correct path.
- A second Pororin store in the southeastern corner of Demeniss, which is accessible earlier.
Both shops carry hats, body armour, and full outfit sets, with prices ranging approximately 500 to 2,000 gold depending on the item. All cosmetics are purely visual and have no effect on your companion’s looting behaviour or stats.
Tips for Managing Your Pet Roster
- You can hold a maximum of 30 pets in total. Untie unwanted companions carefully since the action is permanent. Prioritise keeping your favourite or most useful animals.
- Only one pet can be actively summoned at any given time.
- Expand your inventory early before relying on auto-looting. Pets pick up everything without filtering and your inventory fills quickly during long combat sessions.
- Sell junk regularly at vendors to keep inventory space free. Alternatively, deposit items at camp storage chests to avoid over-encumbrance during extended exploration.
- Use Pass Time at a camp or inn to skip in-game days when you lack Fine Meat or want to reset daily trust limits without spending real time waiting.
- The in-game day resets at midnight, so timing your trust sessions around that reset maximises your gains in the shortest real time.
- Approach cats slowly and from the front or side at all times. If startled, wait a few seconds before trying again rather than chasing them.
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