Dogs....?

[rvk5150]

So I found a stray; got it to follow me; then took it home to keep my wife company since we cannot have kids.

After a few days it took off to "find its way home".....but it had no home....

Then I purchased Vigilance from the guy at Markarth Stables...and after two days at my home HE also went home...what is up with that? I actually paid for that pooch!!!!

 

[Rayven]

Here's the writeup on that particular dog:

Skyrim:Vigilance - UESPWiki

Basically, if you make him wait more than 2 days, he returns to where you bought him. I'm not sure if this is a bug or feature, but it hardly seems worth 500 septims to buy a dog every time you want to take him out.

 

[Rayven]

If you're on a PC though there's probably some kind of mod out by now to give him the staying power one would expect.

 

[Rofl of Mao]

If the stray dog that you found is named Meeko, he has a house east of Solitude. He goes there when you make him wait too long.

HAPPY DRAGONSLAYING!

-Rofl of Mao

 

[Sweet Rolls]

I had Vigilance but I lost him, forgot where I parked him. Then I returned to Markarth stables after two days, bought him again but he wasn't there....??? it was weird, I miss him too

 

[Dagmar]

Vigilance can die so if he hasn't returned to the stables the he may have died. Another possibility is that the he became stuck which sometimes happens due to physics glitches in the game so he could be walking in place somewhere in Skyrim. If you have a PC you can use a console command to teleport yourself to him.

The Stray Dog is not unique. I ran into a second one while accompanied by my current one so you may be able to get one again. When you say your home do you mean your house that you bought from a Steward or your spouse's home?

If you bring him to your own house and tell him to stay, when his waiting time expires and it says he went home he should still be in your house. You wont be able to recruit him again but he effectively becomes your house dog which I initially thought was nice but am now having mixed feelings.

I thought he could keep Lydia company but she doesn't seem to be particularly fond of him. I was in the Alchemy side room in Breezehome making potions and he was barking a lot and at some point I heard Lydia comment "Stupid dog...." It was a bit amusing to hear.

The problem is he tends to constantly knock the bowl and pot off of the table that's by the cooking hearth and he sometimes also knocks over the bottle of ale on the side table between the two chairs in the same area. Everything resets itself after a few days away but I'm compulsive enough sometimes to take the time to put them back in their place myself so it's kind of become a ritual between me and the dog every time I come home.

 

[Rayven]

In other words, it's just like having a real dog...

 

[Su8tle]

In other words, it's just like having a real dog...

Except it doesn't plops inside.

 

[rvk5150]

If you bring him to your own house and tell him to stay, when his waiting time expires and it says he went home he should still be in your house. You wont be able to recruit him again but he effectively becomes your house dog which I initially thought was nice but am now having mixed feelings.

I have done this with a stray and Vigilance now...in MY house with MY wife and after two days he leaves; when I return he is gone.

I want a house dog!!

 

[Dagmar]

Maybe it's your wife. Either that or it only works in Breezhome. Which house are you living in?

 

[rvk5150]

I live in Breezehome and my wife is Mjoll from Riften.

 

[Black swordsman]

I also thought it was cool at first but now I have two stray dogs stuck in my upstairs of Breezehome, (non responsive) making it difficult at times to manuver around. Also Lydia at first was amusing to hear, ( actully laughed out loud first couple hundred times I heard it) but now its just really annoying. Was hoping if I killed them they would disappear ? Anyway rvk I wish you a more pleasant expiriance if you get it to work. Good luck.

 

[Grogmar Ghrobash]

Well any follower will leave if you leave them waiting for too long. I'm not sure how dogs work though this is the first time hearing that they could be house dogs.

 

[Metas]

Vigilance much like Lydia just couldnt stay out my way...

 

[Derpo]

Vigilance much like Lydia just couldnt stay out my way...

lydias a whiney. annoying. retarded. only good for one thing companion and thats carrying mah dwemer crap. went into a ruin yesterday and the idiot got into a downed state several times cause she kept triggering the damn dwemer spin blade. THEN after i leave she vanishes and find out she glitched out and isnt dead. ugh. lydia. id take a dog companion over her any day

 

[Dagmar]

lydias a whiney. annoying. retarded. only good for one thing companion and thats carrying mah dwemer crap. went into a ruin yesterday and the idiot got into a downed state several times cause she kept triggering the damn dwemer spin blade. THEN after i leave she vanishes and find out she glitched out and isnt dead. ugh. lydia. id take a dog companion over her any day

LTPTG?

Lydia is a Housecarl, and they are bar none the most effective melee fighters in the game as the screenshot aptly illustrates (I just took the picture - she did all the fighting). They cap out at level 50 with massive amounts of health, 100 in One-Handed, Heavy Armor, and Blocking and 98 in Archery.

If you let your followers wander freely instead of directing them around obvious pressure plates that's your fault not theirs. Outside of accidentally tripping them in combat there's no excuse for that kind of carelessness other than your own laziness.

If you think any dog companion is better then try recruiting Barbas and then peer over lots of high cliffs while you travel through Skyrim. At least with Lydia you know she wont shove you off of them to your death when your back is turned.

 

[The Barefoot Nord]

I also thought it was cool at first but now I have two stray dogs stuck in my upstairs of Breezehome, (non responsive) making it difficult at times to manuver around. Also Lydia at first was amusing to hear, ( actully laughed out loud first couple hundred times I heard it) but now its just really annoying. Was hoping if I killed them they would disappear ? Anyway rvk I wish you a more pleasant expiriance if you get it to work. Good luck.

I though the incessant barking was annoying, but this sounds downright painful to deal with!

 

[Max Rasmuth]

be nice now....about Lydia...she's my wife...

 

[Derpo]

LTPTG?

Lydia is a Housecarl, and they are bar none the most effective melee fighters in the game as the screenshot aptly illustrates (I just took the picture - she did all the fighting). They cap out at level 50 with massive amounts of health, 100 in One-Handed, Heavy Armor, and Blocking and 98 in Archery.

If you let your followers wander freely instead of directing them around obvious pressure plates that's your fault not theirs. Outside of accidentally tripping them in combat there's no excuse for that kind of carelessness other than your own laziness.

If you think any dog companion is better then try recruiting Barbas and then peer over lots of high cliffs while you travel through Skyrim. At least with Lydia you know she wont shove you off of them to your death when your back is turned.

Thats my point, its iritating and unnecessary to direct them. the AI is fubar. i mean melee fighters will stay at range as much as possible, and refuse to equip bows i give them. half the time they equip plops i gave them just to hold. despite it being weaker. also future refrence im on xbox so i dont have magic mods to fix my problems.

 

[Dagmar]

its....unnecessary to direct them.

I think you need to reflect on your post prior to this one and delve on the meaning of the word unnecessary.

...melee fighters will stay at range as much as possible, and refuse to equip bows i give them. half the time they equip pl*** i gave them just to hold. despite it being weaker....

Followers equip items based on their primary skills and the base damage or base armor rating. They disregard any improvements made by Smithing on items. That's why if you give Lydia a Legendary Steel Shield she will continue to use her default Steel Shield. For ranged attacks try giving them staves. Most followers seem to love them. My Lydia often loots them off of the spellcasters she kills and will start blasting away with them for the rest of the battle despite the fact that I equipped her with a Legendary Daedric Bow.

...also future refrence im on xbox so i dont have magic mods to fix my problems.

You don't need mods to use followers effectively. If you have problems with follower mechanics that's one thing but there's absolutely nothing wrong with Lydia's abilities as a follower compared to other melee combat followers in the game, yet I constantly see player's bitch and moan about her ineptitude when it's their own ineptitude that accounts for how she handles herself in the game.