Best Crimson Desert Companions: Complete Guide to Taming Dogs and Cats (2026)

Crimson Desert isn't just an open world action game where you smash bosses and grab loot. Pearl Abyss snuck in a full pet system — dogs and cats — that you can tame, equip and bring everywhere with you across Pywel.

And it's not just cosmetic. Your companion automatically picks up all loot from enemies after a fight. No more bending over every corpse to grab three coins and a rusty sword. The dog — or cat — handles it while you keep pushing forward.

You can have up to 100 in your collection via the Companion challenges from patch 1.11 — though only one follows you in the field. And trust me, once you've tasted auto-loot, there's no going back. It's the kind of QoL that changes how you play the game entirely.

September 2026 update: since patch 1.11 (June 2026), Pearl Abyss raised the registration cap to 100 companions (up from 30 at launch) through new Journal challenges. At camp you can summon up to 50 at once; in the field it's still one at a time. Taming itself — trust, petting, favorite food — hasn't changed, so this guide is still your playbook.

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The system is simple on paper: you need to raise an animal's trust to 100 points to adopt it. Two methods — petting and feeding. But in practice, there are a few tricks to know so you don't waste three in-game days on a cat that wants nothing to do with you.

Walk up to an animal and hold the interact button. Each pet gives +5 trust points. You can pet an animal 5 times per in-game day, so 25 points max daily with this method alone. For cats, it's a bit more annoying: you have to pick them up first (hold the button) then pet them. Some will run away — you'll need to chase them a little.

This is where things speed up. Each animal has a favorite food that gives +35 trust. Other foods give between +10 and +20, but why settle for less? Buy food at the Hernand Grocer or Butchery (south of the inn) and drop it on the ground near the animal. Heads up: place the food when there aren't other animals around, or the neighbor will eat it instead.

Once at 100 points, a prompt appears. Hold the button and you're done: the animal joins your collection. You can then summon it anytime from the radial menu.

Tip: Petting and feeding limits reset at midnight in-game time. You can sleep in a bed or use a cooking pot to advance time if you're in a hurry. With the right food, a dog can be tamed in 1-2 days. A cat usually takes 2-3 days.

Dogs are easier to tame than cats — they come to you, they accept food without being picky, and their favorite foods are easy to find. Here's the complete list with tested locations and the food that gives the most trust.

Cats are a different story. They don't let you approach as easily, most of them run when you get close, and their favorite food is more specific. But some are so cute it's worth the struggle. And the auto-loot works the same as with a dog — a cat picking up swords off a battlefield is honestly hilarious.

Technically, all companions do the same thing: they pick up loot. No hidden stats, no special bonuses by breed. But some are way easier to get early in the game, and others are just too rare to pass up. Here's our ranking based on accessibility, ease of taming and style.

Available from Chapter 1 at the Hernand Constabulary. Its favorite food — sweet potato — costs almost nothing at the grocer. In two in-game days, it's yours. The perfect companion to start your adventure without any hassle. And honestly, a Beagle in medieval armor running around picking up swords on a battlefield — that's the kind of thing you only see in this game.

Same food as the Beagle (sweet potato), found pretty much everywhere across all regions. The Jindo is your solid baseline dog — not flashy, but you'll stumble across one regularly while exploring. If you didn't find the Beagle first, the Jindo does the job just as well. There's one behind the house east of Hernand Bank, almost every time.

This one requires a bit of patience. The Husky spawns mainly in Pailune — so you won't get it before progressing through the story. But visually, it's the most impressive dog. With bird meat (easy to find), taming is quick. If you want a companion that turns heads as you ride across the Pywel plains, this is the one.

The only cat really worth going after early on. You'll find it in the Hernand Castle courtyard, near the well. Its favorite food is squid — you'll need to visit the fishmonger, which is a bit more work than sweet potatoes. But a Pororin Cat looting boss corpses has a certain class to it.

In the Hernand Castle stables, there's a Saluki hanging around. Noble breed, slender figure, the kind of dog that looks like an aristocrat even covered in mud. Its favorite food is fine meat — a step above standard in terms of price, but nothing crazy. A solid choice for those who want to stand out from the pack of Beagles.

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See your dog picking up loot in rags? That's about to change. At Pororin Village (also called Shai Village), you'll find Milou's Tailor Shop selling outfits, helmets and armor for your companions. It's purely cosmetic — zero stat bonuses — but let's be real, a Beagle in knight armor just hits different.

The village is southeast of Hernand, near Howling Hill and Trembling Woods. Except you can't just walk in. The Shai children shoot you with sleep darts every time you try.

You need to get knocked out 3 times. Yes, seriously. Approach, get put to sleep, wake up somewhere else, go back, get knocked out again. After the third time, the Shai let you in and you unlock the quest "The Unreachable Village". A bit humiliating, but worth the trip.

Once inside, Milou offers knight helmets, musketeer costumes, cloaks and plenty of other cosmetics. Treat your Husky.

• Always use favorite food — the difference between +10 and +35 is 2 saved days. No reason to skimp.
• Sleep to reset limits — petting and feeding counters reset at midnight in-game. A bed or cooking pot, and you're good to go.
• Save/reload if the animal isn't there — spawns are reliable 90% of the time at the listed locations. If your animal is missing, save and reload.
• Feed in an isolated area — if you drop food near a group of animals, the first one there eats it. Lure your target away from the pack.
• Variations depend on time of day — some animals change skins depending on the time. If you're looking for a specific color, try day and night.
• Start early — from Chapter 1 in Hernand, you have access to at least 5-6 companions. Auto-loot changes your life, so take advantage of it from the start.

You can collect up to 100 animals total once you've cleared the Companion challenges (dogs, cats and other pets combined). At camp the summon cap is 50; in the field only one follows you. You pick which one from the radial menu.

No. Dogs and cats don't fight. Their only role in combat is to automatically pick up loot once enemies are dead. The armor you can equip is purely cosmetic — no defense or attack bonuses.

The companion system unlocks in Chapter 3 when you set up your camp. But you can start taming animals from Chapter 1 in Hernand — they'll join your collection once the camp is active.

In terms of functionality, yes — same auto-loot, same mechanics. The difference is in taming: dogs are much simpler (they come to you), cats are pickier (you have to catch them first). Really just a matter of personal preference.

The Hernand Grocer and Butchery (south of the inn) sell most foods. The fishmonger has squid and fish for cats. Some items like sweet potatoes are very cheap — stock up as soon as you can.