After 13 years, Old School RuneScape has reached the end of an era in a way that will leave most players extremely pleased. Old School RuneScape is a game filled with legacy, but there’s one area in which it has historically been slacking until now.
Over the years, Old School RuneScape has established itself as one of the biggest MMOs on the market. Released in 2013 as a version of RuneScape based on a previous 2007 build, the game has since eclipsed RS3 in popularity. Development resources for the old school version have ramped up over the years, and it’s been incredible to see it continue to go from strength to strength.
Old School RuneScape Finally Adds Dog Pets After 13 Years
Over 13 years after its initial release, Old School RuneScape players can finally have dogs as pets thanks to the release of a brand-new quest: A Ruff Situation. The story involves players setting up a new dog shelter north of Falador. Once completed, players in the long-running MMO can adopt a puppy from the shelter, which slowly grows as they feed it. Unlike cats, they will not run away if not fed, and can be kept as puppies by simply not feeding them. However, once fully grown, players can use their dogs to help with digging for Treasure Trail steps. There are 12 breeds to choose from, so everyone should be able to find a canine companion they love. Players can have up to 12 dogs living in their Player-Owned House Menagerie at a time, so technically, they can have one of every breed.
Players can start A Ruff Situation by speaking to Talia and Chase at the new dog shelter near Ice Mountain, north of Falador.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
It certainly marks the end of a huge era for Old School RuneScape. The game has had bossing and skilling pets for years, but when it comes to actual domestic pets, players have been limited to cats since its release in 2013. A pet rock doesn’t count. This has always been great for cat lovers, but dog lovers have been left out in the cold for too long. It’s not as though dogs don’t exist in the RuneScape universe, either – Varrock’s stray dogs and the existence of Hellhounds make sure of that. Still, better late than never. A Ruff Situation is a members-only quest in Old School RuneScape and requires 15 Crafting to complete.
All Old School RuneScape Dog Breeds
- Bernese
- Chihuahua
- Collie
- Corgi
- Greyhound
- Husky
- Labrador
- Pug
- Samoyed
- Spaniel
- Shiba
- Yorkie
As with all new Old School RuneScape updates, the Ruff Situation quest and the addition of dogs as pets afterward were polled among the player base in August 2026. The quest passed with 89.5% yes votes, and 88.4% of players then said yes to adding the pets afterward. Polls require a significant majority to proceed (70%), but even then, this wasn’t even close. Given how players have been asking for dogs in Old School RuneScape for over 13 years now, it’s of little surprise that the community jumped on the opportunity to add them while they had it.
Despite its age, Old School RuneScape continues to thrive after a huge 2026 (so far). Its polling system remains the backbone of its success, with the community shooting down any ideas from Jagex that could potentially cause an uproar. It has, on occasion, resulted in some potentially massive updates being scrapped – players shut down an entire new Bronzeman game mode in the same poll as A Ruff Situation. But really, this has only benefited the health of the popular MMO, and given how strong its player count remains, it’s hard to argue with the results.
- Released
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January 4, 2001
- ESRB
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