Outbound Animal Companion Guide: How to Get a Dog and Tame Rabbits
Before you lose your mind hauling scrap metal across the desert entirely by yourself, you need to recruit a furry pack mule.
The open world is massive and mostly empty. You will spend hours chopping wood and listening to your engine rattle. The isolation can definitely wear on you. Luckily, you can fix that silence by adopting a permanent companion to ride shotgun. You get a loyal friend and a massive tactical advantage for your inventory management at the exact same time. If you put in the effort to train them, your new dog can actually automate your material grind. I will also cover the wild rabbits, just in case you want to waste your hard-earned berries on a temporary sidekick.
How to Find and Adopt a Dog
Your starter van does not come with a puppy in the glovebox, meaning you have to put in some serious mileage to reach the adoption center.
Locating the Paws & Whiskers Lodge
You cannot get a dog in the starting zone. You need to progress until you reach the second biome. Head to the northeast section of the first map and drive through the rock tunnel. Keep following the main road into the new area until you spot a signal tower. Look right behind that tower to find a dirt path leading to a large building called the Paws & Whiskers Lodge. Head inside, loot everything in the lobby including the free dog treat, and walk out the back door into the enclosed yard.
The Adoption Process
You will find four dogs walking around the yard. Each one has a different coat color. Walk up to the one you want and press the interact button. A prompt will pop up asking you to type out a name. Think carefully before you confirm this. The choice is entirely permanent. You cannot change the name later, and you absolutely cannot adopt a second dog. Pick your favorite color, type the name, and lock it in. This unlocks the Fur-Ever Friend achievement.
The Gameplay Benefits of Man's Best Friend
This dog provides an actual utility upgrade for your road trip the second you finalize the adoption.
The Command Interface
You control your dog using a quick command wheel. It is incredibly straightforward. "Follow Me" commands the dog to stick right by your side while exploring on foot. "Stay" tells your dog to hold their current position and wait for you to return. "Show Pouch" opens the inventory interface so you can deposit or retrieve items. Finally, the "Pet" command triggers an affection animation. Doing this for the first time unlocks the Can you Pet the Dog? achievement.
The Starter Backpack
Your new dog immediately equips a specialized backpack that grants you 10 extra inventory slots. You can walk right up to your pet and offload your heavy resources directly into their pouch. If you are constantly struggling with your own weight limits, you should read my detailed breakdown on how to increase your carry capacity so you do not have to rely entirely on the dog.
How to Teach Your Dog New Tricks
Having a walking backpack is great, but you can turn your dog into a highly efficient material hunter if you invest in the right workstations.
Building the Training Infrastructure
You have to build two specific stations inside your van before you can teach your dog anything. You need to download the required blueprint from a signal tower located in either the coast or canyon biomes.
Once you have the data, you need to craft the Dog Research Station using 2 Scrap Metal and 3 Redwood. You also need to build the Companion Training Station, which costs 2 Durafiber and 2 Natural Rubber. If you are missing any of these base components, check out my guide on where to find every basic material.
The Trick Upgrade Path
Unlocking a trick is a two-step process. First, you research the ability at the Dog Research Station using raw materials. Second, you move over to the Companion Training Station to actually teach the trick. The training phase requires a smaller portion of the research materials along with a handful of Dog Treats.
Note that the physical pouch capacity upgrades are actually crafted at your Sewing Table, not the training stations.
If you want to truly optimize your time, prioritize researching Search Materials and Return to Vehicle first. You can send your dog out into the wild to hunt for rare items while you manage your base, and then command them to dump the entire haul directly into the camper van storage hatch without you ever lifting a finger.
Feeding and Petting Wild Rabbits
Dogs are not the only animals roaming the wilderness, but taming the local wildlife requires a completely different approach.
The Roadberry Requirement
You will spot rabbits hopping around the different biomes, but they run away if you approach empty-handed. To befriend a wild rabbit, you need a specific bribe. You must have Roadberries sitting in your active inventory. If you are confused about where to harvest these or how to grow them, check out my guide on farming and finding food. Walk slowly toward the rabbit and press the interact button to hand over a berry. The rabbit will eat it, a heart icon will pop up above its head, and you are officially friends. You can now walk up and pet the rabbit whenever you want.
Do Rabbits Actually Do Anything?
Do not expect these wild animals to haul your scrap metal or sniff out redwood logs. Petting a befriended rabbit simply causes it to follow you around for a very brief period of time. They do not have backpacks, they do not have a command wheel, and they will eventually wander off into the bushes to do their own thing. It is a cute interaction, but if you want real utility on the road, you need to drive to the lodge and get the dog.
