10 Dog Pokémon We Want As Actual Pets

Every kid has thought about what Pokémon they’d want as a pet. Many adults have wondered the same thing, only to realize that most Pokémon would be quite the health risk to even stand close to. Still, the series is all about building a bond with these superpowered animal weapons, so the player is always safe from whatever occupational hazards come with the job of training a snail hotter than the surface of the sun. There are so many cute Pokémon out there that fans would love to have for their very own, and the games let them live out those wishes.

Naturally, there are a lot of Pokémon that resemble common household pets like dogs — the familiarity with a real-world animal is a common motivator to catch a dog Pokémon. While in-game, the player is free to play around with their giant canine monsters all they want, the Pokédex paints a different picture of how easy or hard it may be to own one of the many dogs of the Pokémon universe. While the tragic reality of owning some of the dog Pokémon is a particularly cruel joke on the developers’ end, there are plenty of puppy Pokémon whose presence is perfectly pleasant.

10 Rockruff and Midday Lycanroc Can Be Rough to Handle

Rockruff Gets More Aggressive As It Ages, While Midday Lycanroc’s Mane is Sharper Than a Knife

Alola’s Rockruff is a popular starter Pokémon due to how friendly it is when it’s young, but it’s a surprisingly moody breed of Pokémon. The Ultra Sun Pokédex entry says that as it grows, it becomes “more violent and aggressive,” and the Scarlet entry describes it as outright “vicious” when it grows up. Sadly, this leads to it being abandoned often by Trainers who underestimate how much work a Rockruff can be. Things only get worse if it evolves into a Midnight or Dusk Lycanroc: Midnight Lycanrocs are notoriously disobedient and have no sense of self-preservation in battle, and Violet‘s Pokédex says that Dusk Lycanrocs are considered the hardest form to raise.

However, Rockruff isn’t a bad pet overall. It’s affectionate and empathetic, sticking by its Trainer if it senses they’re sad. It’s also very loyal: even when it gets rougher with age, it will always remember how kind its Trainer is. If it evolves into a Midday Lycanroc, it will make a dedicated partner with a calm and collected temperament. Just be careful when petting it; the rocks in its mane are sharper than knives.

9 Smeargle’s Too Creative For Its Own Good

It Marks Its Territory With Paint, Making Many Messes

For an aspiring artist, Smeargle could be a great companion. Not only would it be a dog that shares its Trainer’s interests, but it’s also a free source of paint wherever it goes. The paint on Smeargle’s tail also changes its hue depending on its emotion, so it’s an easy Pokémon to understand. There’s also the part where it can learn almost any move using Sketch, so a pet Smeargle could be tailor-trained for more practical moves to use in real life. It could use Sweet Scent to calm its anxious Trainer, Hypnosis to help people fall asleep, and even Softboiled to help heal people with Chansey’s nutritious eggs.

With Smeargle’s creativity and versatility comes one giant catch as a pet: it loves to paint and marks its territory using the paint on the end of its tail. Its Trainer could just be walking from one room of the house to another, only to notice their new carpet was stained by Smeargle’s “claim.” There are over 5,000 discovered marks that Smeargles use to decorate their territory, so owning a Smeargle is likely to drive the cleaning bill through the roof.

8 Yamper is Surprisingly Selfish, but Boltund is a Great Guardian

The Corgi Pokémon is Only In It for the Treats

The Internet fell in love with Yamper when it first appeared in Sword and Shield‘s E3 2019 demo. It’s a corgi with a heart on its butt — what’s not to love? Just like its real-world inspiration, Yamper is a popular herding dog in the Galar region, and its exclusive ability “Ball Fetch” means that it’s always eager to play. However, Yampers aren’t as loving as they look: according to Yamper’s Shield Pokédex entry, it only helps people because it wants treats. Apparently, its Trainer is nothing but a source of curry for it…

Thankfully, Boltund seems to be more noble than its pre-evolved form. Boltund is Thievul’s natural enemy, much like how the English foxhound it’s based on was used for fox hunting. Thievul’s Shield Pokédex entry says that it steals food and eggs, which implies that Boltund doesn’t so much actively hunt Thievul as it protects others from it. In a world where all animals come from eggs, chasing off Thievul makes Boltund a hero to any Pokémon breeder. However, Boltund’s incredible speed and stamina mean that its Trainer might need matching energy and patience to deal with it.

7 Furfrou is Fabulously Unproblematic

A Hound for Haute-Couture Connoisseurs

There’s not a lot of information about Furfrou’s behavior out there. It’s one of the only Pokémon never to appear in a Nintendo Switch game as of this writing, so there aren’t many Pokédex entries to go off of. However, that also means there isn’t a record of Furfrou being a bad pet. Any in-game Furfrou information mostly pertains to its fur: it’s popular for Trainers to trim this Pokémon’s coat, having ten different haircuts the player can give it. The Pokédex highlights its “fluffy fur” and elegance and reveals that it was used as a guard dog for the king of Kalos across history. It’s a loyal pet, and if it’s as smart as real-life poodles, an especially intelligent one.

However, if Furfrou has one caveat, it seems to be picky about how to treat its hair. Its Ultra Moon Pokédex entry says that it only lets people it trusts cut its hair, which can be a problem since it’ll just keep growing and growing otherwise. Any real-life poodle owners can vouch for how important timely grooming is. Otherwise, though, it’s mostly just a standard dog. Not particularly a standout companion outside of its loyalty and fashion sense, but also not a troublesome pet.

6 Fidough and Dachsbun are Delicious-Looking Dachshunds

Bringing a New Meaning to “Loafing”

Most chefs wouldn’t dare think of bringing their dog into the kitchen, but Fidough and Dachsbun can only make a dish even better. Fidough’s breath even induces fermentation, which makes it a useful companion for those who like to cook. Thankfully, saying one “uses Fidough in their recipe” only means that a Fidough helped out in the cooking process, not the other option.

Dachsbun is Fidough’s evolution, looking more like an adult dachshund than just a puppy. It gives off a nice aroma when its skin is heated, much like real bread. Like its pre-evolution, though, Dachsbun is a friend, not food. Instead, it’s used for farming: the aroma helps grow wheat. It’s a popular Pokémon among farmers as a result. The main trouble with Fidough and Dachsbun is that they seem to be working dogs with how they’re used in cooking and farming, so they might be happier doing their jobs than just being kept as a pet.

5 Kantonian Growlithe and Arcanine are Born Protectors

For Better or For Worse, They’ll Keep Their Trainer Safe

Growlithe is defined by its dedication to its Trainer’s safety. It’s very friendly to humans, but when it thinks it has a reason to protect its Trainer, Growlithe will bark and bite to keep them safe. This isn’t always a good thing — Black 2 and White 2 explain in the Pokédex that Growlithe will “bark at those who approach the Trainer unexpectedly and run them out of town.” Note that it doesn’t say humans are an exception to this behavior — it seems that Growlithe is friendly to humans in general, but only as long as it’s approached on its own terms. Meeting a potential partner’s Growlithe might be as intimidating for someone as meeting the potential partner’s parents.

Contrasting Growlithe’s cuteness, Arcanine is respected for its grace and beauty. Even among Pokémon, it’s staggeringly fast — able to run 6,200 miles in a single day and night. Its bark is also so magnificent that it can apparently control people: one of its recurring Pokédex entries says “its magnificent bark conveys a sense of majesty. Anyone hearing it can’t help but grovel before it.” There’s nothing out there to implicate Arcanine as anything but benevolent, but its Trainer might want to keep earplugs around, just in case.

4 Riolu and Lucario Can Understand Humans

They Use Aura to Read Others’ Hearts

Every pet owner has wished their pet understood their language at some point. While all Pokémon seem to be able to understand human speech to some extent, Riolu and Lucario are special because they can read emotions and minds using the power of “aura.”Legends: Arceus‘ Pokédex says that Riolu can read human minds, and Diamond and Brilliant Diamond say that Lucario can understand human speech. It must be so much easier to raise a dog when they actually understand why their owner is asking them to sit. Plus, one of the scariest things about pet ownership is not being able to know when and why they’re feeling bad. Riolu’s aura communicates its feelings, so there’s much less guesswork involved in its health and emotional state.

Then again, young children also understand human language, and they’re not that much easier to wrangle than a puppy is. Riolu may be smart, but it’s scrappy and energetic. Sword says “taking it for walks can be a challenging experience.” With enough energy to climb multiple mountains and cross multiple canyons in a single night, Riolu might cause its owner more stress than anything else at first. Luckily, Lucario is a lot calmer and even smarter, as long as it isn’t Mega Evolved.

3 Maschiff and Mabosstiff are Criminally Cute

These Mafia-Inspired Mutts are the Cutest Crime Lords

Maschiff isn’t conventionally cute. It’s a perpetually snarling Dark-type Pokémon with sharp fangs strong enough to crunch up boulders. And yet, it can’t get anyone to take it seriously as a threat. Even crying children tend to start laughing when they see a Maschiff. It’s goofily adorable in its attempts to come off as threatening. However, it’s important to remember that Maschiff’s bite is significantly worse than its bark; a jaw like that could cause serious damage to anything that actually earns its ire.

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Mabosstiff is more typically cute in how it more closely resembles a real-life mastiff. Despite its typing and “godfather” look, it’s a friendly Pokémon who loves to play with kids. When there’s danger afoot, though, Mabosstiff will bear its fangs and live up to its mafia theming to protect the ones it cares about. While Mabosstiff can certainly be dangerous, its protective behavior is more similar to a real-life Spanish mastiff than a magical dog monster; a poorly raised one can be a problem, but it’s a great companion for the kids it grows up to protect.

2 Snubbull and Granbull are Surprisingly Timid and Loving

Their Personalities are the Opposite of Their Facial Expressions

Snubbull looks like an unflattering depiction of a stereotypical French bulldog: small, angry face, but dolled up and cutesy in a style reminiscent of spoiled purse dogs. Granbull isn’t much better, though it at least looks less ridiculous — its lavender shade contrasts with its intimidating scowl and oversized jaws. The thing about these two, though, is that their demeanors are almost the opposite of their appearances. Snubbull is popular among women because it’s a very affectionate Pokémon, and Granbull has a lot of fans among young people for being even more timid than its pre-evolution.

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Much like with real-life bulldog fans, the contrast between the rough-looking faces and the sweet demeanor (if raised right) is a major part of the Snubbull line’s appeal. At least in the Pokémon world, too, the Snubbull line doesn’t seem to suffer from the chronic health problems of its inspiration, so it’s not as expensive or emotionally taxing to raise. Considering the common aggression and energy issues for most of the previously listed Pokémon, though, Snubbull stands out for being comparatively low-maintenance.

1 Lillipup, Herdier, and Stoutland are Ideal Pets

Stoutland is a Perfect Guard Dog and Family Dog

The Lillipup line is what livestock owners wish their guardian dogs could be like — smart, brave, independent, and affectionate. Shield‘s Pokédex describes Lillipup as “far brighter than the average child,” and that’s a heavy claim. How old is a child in this scenario? Since 13-year-olds are considered teenagers, does that mean Lillipup can be smarter than a 12-year-old human? It’s also not a barker, which makes it popular in apartments — the dream dog of any millennial. Its evolved form, Herdier, is a little more stubborn and high-maintenance: while it’s an excellent caretaker of other Pokémon, Moon says that Herdier won’t obey a Trainer it doesn’t respect. According to Sun, its black fur is dense and always growing, which makes grooming it expensive.

Stoutland is the ideal dog Pokémon. Like St. Bernards and Newfoundlands, the breeds it was most likely based on, Stoutland is often used to rescue people stranded in the wilderness. It’s so fluffy that its fur can completely protect a person from freezing on a winter mountain night. Moon says in the Pokédex that there’s no fear that a Stoutland will attack someone, and some parents even trust it to babysit their kids. Stoutland is smart, obedient, patient, and kind — the only issue would be allergies. With that much hair, someone out there has to be allergic to it.