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[AzuredreamsXT]

Are hunting dogs actually less effective fighters than war dogs?

[Dragula]

Yes but they are faster, I think.

[Girlinhat]

Supposedly, hunting animals will remained Sneaking when the hunter they're assigned to is also sneaking, making them capable of keeping prey animals unaware so that they hunter can still shoot them.

In practice, the hunting dogs will just loiter around the hunter.  I tried hunting animals once, and they never attacked anything, they'd just follow the hunter.  Perhaps they never came in range of the prey animals or there's a bug that's been fixed, either way when I tried it, it didn't work.

Although, I can confirm that the dog was sneaking and the prey animal didn't run from the dog even within normal running range.

[Azure]

I'd recommend Hunting dogs due to the Agi boost they get from training. Your war dogs are only a threat to teensy things and even kobolds have a fair shake at breaking bites. The Agi boost will give a tiny boost to dodge rates so they might distract for a few tics more.

[KodKod]

Last time I checked Hunting Aminals were borked, and are relatively pointless to train, to the extent of actually giving away your hunter's position.

If this has been fixed then it would please me muchly, but I've not noticed it in any patch notes.

[Maxmurder]

I pen a couple hunting dogs in my fort entrance. That way if they see a kobold/gobbo thief or peofiels they will chase it. Since they are faster than war dogs they have a better chance of catching the bastard before he gets away... that is the theory at least.

[AzuredreamsXT]

Sounds like some !SCIENCE! is needed, unless anyone has recent solid experience with hunting dogs.

Also, war dog bites are a threat to goblins aren't they? Goblins tend to only wear a breastplate and helmet.

[simonthedwarf]

Its interesting whether or not hunting dogs are better at detecting cloakers. Science is called for.

[Girlinhat]

As I understand it, hunting dogs don't detect cloakers, but instead the dog will cloak when the dog is assigned to a hunter who is hunting.  I've just never seen the dog utilize the element of surprise and go after an animal, they just loiter invisible.  If they were working, then hunting giant tigers would be all over my map.

[KodKod]

If they were working, then hunting giant tigers would be all over my map.

Ah, a kindred spirit. =3

It was with hunting giant tigers that I had the mispleasure of finding out that they were borked.
The elves responsible for providing the tigers in question bore the brunt of my disappointment.

[AzuredreamsXT]

So there is currently no reason to go with hunting dogs over war dogs, yes?

[Urist Da Vinci]

As I understand it, hunting dogs don't detect cloakers, but instead the dog will cloak when the dog is assigned to a hunter who is hunting.  I've just never seen the dog utilize the element of surprise and go after an animal, they just loiter invisible.  If they were working, then hunting giant tigers would be all over my map.

Strange thought comes to mind: when do the dogs enter stealth? If we wall off a vampire dwarf, and enable his hunting labor, and assign him hunting dogs, are they invisible? If he needs a target, we trap a wild animal in a pressure plate device such that the vampire can never catch it, then are all his dogs invisible? What can we do with cloaked dogs?

[KodKod]

So there is currently no reason to go with hunting dogs over war dogs, yes?

That is correct. They cannot be used for their original purpose, and they're generally worse at fighting than war dogs.

[BigFatStupidHead]

There was a devlog quote a long time ago that lead me to believe hunting animals might have a larger detection range. Not as easy to test as basic detection range, as I don't know of a way to make hunting animals in the arena.

[SixOfSpades]

I've yet to hear any convincing argument for the use of dogs at all except as sources of meat/bones/milk, just like any other (non-grazing) livestock animal. If a single goblin snatcher can take on 10 war dogs simultaneously and slaughter them all while recieving no injuries worse than a cut on her left hand, then really, what the hell is the point.