Fighting Dogs

Fighting dogs are labeled as any dog residing in a yard or in the Cages.

Life
The mornings are cold in the kennels. Even in summer frost bites at our paws and our stomachs remain empty. We were born to be "fighters" but few of us ever feel like a fighter. Often, we just want to stay alive. It gets so lonely in these cages with only bloodstains to keep us company. I looked at my body, new scars, it seems all the time, from human and my brethren alike.

It's as though, every morning you wake up, you aren't sure if you'll make it back to the kennel at the end of the day. At least I'm still young. The older dogs wimper at every breath, almost saying they want it to be their last. But I'm starting to wonder how long I'll make it. My muscles ache and my will is draining fast. Will it ever end?

I don't want to die.

In the World of Dog-Fighting
Pups must be born in the roleplay. They are to be taken care of by their mother. At four weeks they begin training with a handler or will be sold to the Holding Kennels, an affiliation or the Shelter. This handler will be chosen by the owner of an affiliation.

An affiliation is a group where dogs are kept. Each affiliation has an owner and dogmen, which are like employees. Different affiliations may choose to fight against each other or form an alliance.

Training consists of running on treadmills, swimming in pools, play-fighting with other dogs, playing with heavy duty toys and anything else the handler can come up with. The harder the work, the better. Handlers should form a bond with their dog so they're more willing to fight against other dogs in the future. This rigorous training will still be required for adult dogs as well. Some handlers may have 2 dogs or vice versa, whatever it takes to get and keep them in fighting shape.

At 15 weeks pups will be put against a Psis/Omega (check here to learn about ranks) in a usually non-lethal fight. If the pup doesn't meet their handlers expectations they will be killed.

At 19 months the pup will face a second test, this time against a Delta/Epsilon. If they are deemed acceptable they will now qualify for Arena Fights. If not, they'll be killed. (likely by the Delta/Epsilon)

Dogs may also be sold at 19 months for money and will go to the Holding Kennels or an affiliation.

Their handler will still stay with them into adulthood. Training will likely become much harsher and may result in severe injury and death. Dogs may try to escape after 2 irl weeks. Humans may stop escapes.

Most dogs will be Psis at this point. The goal now is to get reputation up through fighting kennelmates, excelling in training and displaying dominance over others. Adult dogs are often unchained so they have much more time to interact with their peers. At some point the dog will be chosen to fight in an arena. Average reputation dogs start in the Barn. Dogs born into powerful families or those impressive at training may start at the Stage.

Fights in arenas are generally deadly but are the best way to earn reputation. If the dog wins this, they'll be on the track to a bright future with a considerable amount of reputation. If they lose a large portion of their rep. will be lost. This could demote them to an omega, which is dangerous to be at. Some dogs may receive injections to help them in battle. To see a list of steroids click here. These can be bought out of pocket by the handler or by the Affiliation. However, these are often saved for Alphas/Betas. A fight is generally considered over if one of the dogs is dead, horribly injured or gives up fighting back. Humans may have to separate dogs from killing each other if they don't intend for a lethal fight.

If the dog ends up an omega they'll be pushed around, beaten up and starved. They may become sick and die or die from a fight within an affiliation. Omegas become prey for Alphas/Betas in training and often meet their end at that point. The only way to get back to a Psi is by winning enough fights to boost reputation back up. This is difficult since becoming an Omega automatically drops your reputation.

Reputation can also be gained by human's preferences. Spectators at fights may cheer for certain dogs which increases rep. If a handler or the owner of an affiliation sees potential in a dog, they can give them reputation. How much depends on the person's reputation. They may "sponsor" one dog for at least a month. After this time they may continue to sponsor the same dog or choose a different dog. People may not sponsor dogs in their affiliation. The way to gain sponsors is by competing in an arena or a special event.

Special events are held by community members. These might include races, swimming competitions or even hunting. They may also be held to match up bachelors and bachelorettes. Some events are only for one dog in an affiliation. Some last a day and some might last a week. Either way, these are the best times to impress people and gain sponsors.

Dogs will often be assigned mates but that doesn't stop them from choosing their own personal mates. Two dogs can become partners at any time, regardless of affiliation, and can have puppies. However, their handlers may not be too happy about this and could prevent them from seeing each other again. Having a mate outside one's affiliation means they won't see each other often and will have to choose where the pups go. Dogs could also be sold from their affiliation for cash and moved to another, so it can be hard to keep a mate for a long time. Dogs may get pregnant after 18 months. Anything before that and they'll likely die.

Dogs can be sold or traded to other affiliations at any time. This transfer has to be approved by the owners of each affiliation. Deals like this can be done over the phone or in person at fights and events.

Pregnant dogs may or may not complete in arena fights, depending on what their handler sees fit. Keep in mind that affiliation owners can override dogmen on any decisions made. They will still do training throughout their pregnancy and while they rear their puppies.

(One irl week = 1 in rp month)

Birth: Unable to see or hear.

2 Weeks: Able to walk

4 Weeks: Training begins

6 Weeks: Can eat dog food instead of milk/Sellable

15 Weeks: First test against an omega

1 Year: Offically an adult

19 Months: Second test against a Psi.

20 Months: Able to have pups

Puppies gain (or lose) a fraction of their parent's reputation when they are born. Runts often don't survive long. In fact, most dogs with any physical disability won't last long either. And their disability will make them practically unsellable. Omegas are often unsellable too.

For arena fights with high bets the losing dog will likely be killed by their handler afterward or they'll risk losing reputation themself. A dog's reputation plays a part in the handler's reputation but not the other way around.

Dogs will recieve awards through accomplishments in their lives. They'll also get specialized collars. To see more about awards and collars click here.

Dogs know when they move up or down a rank and will be able to act accordingly. They don't know when they'll go to an arena unless they overhear their owners.

Each dog breed has a different lifespan. Once reached, their physical health will start deteriorating and in turn, their reputation. Some kind handlers may want to retire their elder dogs but most require them to fight until death. Dogs can't have puppies past 7 years of age. Once a dog dies the owner will be left with their awards and collars to either sell or keep. Handlers will begin training another dog once their dog dies.

And that's pretty much it for dogs. Check here to learn more about dogmen and how their lives go.

Questions? Ask me!

Reputation
A dog's reputation is a measure of their popularity within the dog-fighting world. Dogs will gain reputation by killing dogs, winning fights, having pups and competing in events.

Each dog's popularity contributes to their Here's a list of how to gain (and lose) rep. (This list is subject to change based on the situation.)
 * Sell Value
 * Affiliation's Reputation
 * Offspring
 * Collars
 * Owner's Reputation

Fighting (Winning/Losing)

Barn: +5/-3

Garden: +15/-8

Ring: +20/-10

Final Ring: +40/-20

???: ???/???

15 Week Test: +2/-1

19 Month Test: +4/-2

Other Fight: +4/-2

Human Influences

Cheering at an Arena: +1

Bet Placed: +2

Sponsor: 25% of the spon's rep/monthly

Skills/Training

Gaining a Skill: +1

Losing a Skill: -1

Mastering a Skill: +20

5 Stars of a Skill: +10 You can also steal reputation from beating/killing a high rep. dog. This is the percent gain depending on the type of fight.

Winning/Killing

Barn: 25%/50%

Garden: 40%/70%

Ring: 70%/90%

Final Ring: 90%/100%

???: ???/???

15 Week Test: 10%/30%

19 Month Test: 25%/50%

Other Fight: 5%/10%

Other

Bearing a Litter:

+5 Community Event: Depends on the event

Reputation is very important. Each dog will be listed based on this stat and dogs at the end of the list will often be killed/used as bait. Keeping rep. high shows your strength and makes your survival chances much higher. Reputation also impacts your owner's rep. If their rep gets too low they'll have to leave their Affiliation. For this reason, owners may kill their dogs.

Breeds
Most fighting dogs will be one of nine specified breeds that are exemplary at fighting. Let's take a look at each breed to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Everyone will have access to D-B rank dogs. Star members will have access to A and S rank dogs. Remember to stay realistic to your breed's colors. Mix breeds may only be born in rp.

Pit Bull Terrier (C)
Lifespan: 8-15 years (5-9 in T&C)

Average Weight: 35-65 lbs.

Average Height: 18-21 inches

✓ High potential for aggression

✓ 235 psi.

✗ Pretty small

✗ Can't handle the cold

American Bulldog (D)
Lifespan: 10-15 (7-9 in T&C)

Average Weight: 60-130 lbs.

Average Height: 20-28 inches

✓ 305 psi.

✗ Slow (Under 15 mph)

✗ Can't handle the cold

✗ Can't handle heat

Bull Terrier (B)
Lifespan: 10-15 years (7-9 in T&C)

Average Weight: 35-75 lbs.

Average Height: 21-22 inches

✓ High energy

✓ Muscular

✗ Deafness (18%)

✗ OCD

✗Bad swimmer

Doberman (A)
Lifespan: 10-13 years (7 in T&C)

Average Weight: 71-99 lbs.

Average Height: 24-28 inches

✓ 245 psi.

✓ 32 mph.

✓ High stamina

✗ Very unhealthy

✗ Can't handle the cold

Rottweiler (B)
Lifespan: 8-10 years (5-6 in T&C)

Average Weight: 77-130 lbs.

Average Height: 22-27 inches

✓ 328 psi.

✗ Very unhealthy

✗ Can't handle the cold

Staffordshire Bull Terrier (C)
Lifespan: 12-14 years (9 in T&C)

Average Weight: 24-37 lbs.

Average Height: 13-16 inches

✓ Agile

✓ Muscular

✗ Can't handle heat

✗ Small

American Staffordshire Terrier (B)
Lifespan: 10-15 years (7-9 in T&C)

Average Weight: 62-88 lbs.

Average Height: 17-19 inches

✓ Strong

✗ Can't handle the cold

✗ Not very aggressive

German Shepherd (A)
Lifespan: 9-13 years (6-7 in T&C)

Average Weight: 66-71 lbs.

Average Height: 22-26 inches

✓ 238 psi.

✓ 30 mph.

✓ Very smart

✗ Unhealthy

✗ Doesn't listen well

Akita (A)
Lifespan: 10-15 (7-9 in T&C)

Average Weight: 51-86 lbs.

Average Height: 24-28 inches

✓ 400 psi.

✗ Can't handle heat

Hidden Breeds
There are several hidden breeds which, if you know them, you can play as.

0/8

Nonconforming Breeds
Nonconforming breeds are closed, please don't ask to sign up as one.

Alphas
An alpha is the top dog of an affiliation, specifically in terms of reputation. Two alphas of opposite genders will often be bred together. These excelling dogs often receive the best care and may choose to discipline their kennelmates. In most special competitions, one or both of these dogs should be chosen.

Betas
Betas are just under Alphas in terms of strength and rep. They also are put in groups of 2 and bred together. As such, when the Alpha's die or drop a rank the Beta's will take their place. Each rank can be challenged at almost any time if the Alpha(s) or Beta(s) appear to be faltering in their viciousness.

Deltas
Deltas are not given any specific benefits but are often seen as the backbone of an affiliation. These dogs are high in reputation but not enough to be considered an Alpha or Beta.

Epsilons
Epsilons are the average dogs in an affiliation.

Psis
This is the starting rank for most new dogs. They get bossed around a lot and are likely to die if they don't recieve the reputation to climb up a rank.

Omegas
Omegas are dogs too old/injured to fight or those that refuse to battle. These dogs are used as bait and treated the cruelest. Omegas often die within months if they don't change their rank. Omegas should not bear children.

Skills/Training
Info found here. Must be read.

Collars
Every dog is awarded specific types of collars for things they do over the course of their lives. Your dog may choose which collar they want to wear and it will often reflect their importance in an affiliation. To see a list of the different collars click here.

Awards
Dogs may also receive trophies and rewards from competing in fights and through special events. These awards are meant to be shared between the owner and the dog. Some awards can impact reputation as well as many other things.

Unicorn Whip: Kill everyone in your Affiliation

Signal Whip: Get +100 rep

Rose Whip: Kill a pet/stray

Cat O' Nine Tails: Kill an Alpha

Fighting Dog List
Meet the Dogs Here