Canine

Canines refers to a type of monster in Nethack. Represented by d, they have a wide variety of characteristics. Only dogs can be tamed, but it is possible to acquire other canines as pets. See pets for more information.

Jackal

d jackal
Difficulty	1
Attacks	Bite 1d2

d jackal
Difficulty	1
Attacks	Bite 1d2
Base level	0
Base experience	1
Speed	12
Base AC	7
Base MR	0
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Uncommon
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	300
Nutritional value	250
Size	Small
Resistances	None
Resistances conveyed	None
A jackal: has no hands. is an animal. is carnivorous. is normally generated hostile. can be seen through infravision. normally appears in small groups.
Reference	monst.c#line198

Jackals appear early in the game and in packs, making them one of the more dangerous level zero monsters. They have a relatively low HP and should not be too greatly feared. Position yourself in a hallway so that you can engage in melee combat without being surrounded. Once in this position, it may be beneficial to use a long-range weapon, such as a dagger or an attack wand which can hit more than one monster per turn.

A werejackal can summon more jackals to assist in the attack and will be inclined to do so when close to death. In these situations, it is smart to kill the werejackal as soon as possible so that it cannot summon more. When polymorphed into a werejackal, it is possible to summon your own jackal pets which will remain tame after you have returned to your original form and once lycanthropy has been healed.

Encyclopedia entry

In Asiatic folktale, jackal provides for the lion; he scares
up game, which the lion kills and eats, and receives what is
left as reward.  In stories from northern India he is
sometimes termed "minister to the king," i.e. to the lion.
From the legend that he does not kill his own food has arisen
the legend of his cowardice.  Jackal's heart must never be
eaten, for instance, in the belief of peoples indigenous to
the regions where the jackal abounds. ... In Hausa Negro
folktale Jackal plays the role of sagacious judge and is
called "O Learned One of the Forest."  The Bushmen say that
Jackal goes around behaving the way he does "because he is
Jackal".
        [ Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore ]

Coyote

d Coyote
Difficulty	2
Attacks	1d4

d Coyote
Difficulty	2
Attacks	1d4
Base level	1
Base experience	11
Speed	12
Base AC	7
Base MR	0
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Very rare
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	300
Nutritional value	250
Size	Small
Resistances	None
Resistances conveyed	None

A coyote is an easy creature to defeat, most likely found in the early levels of the dungeon. Coyotes appear in packs, each with a humurous species name, playing off the Road Runner cartoon skits.

List of coyote names Reference: do_name.c#coyotename

• Carnivorous Vulgaris
• Road-Runnerus Digestus
• Eatibus Anythingus
• Famishus-Famishus
• Eatibus Almost Anythingus
• Eatius Birdius
• Famishius Fantasticus
• Eternalii Famishiis
• Famishus Vulgarus
• Famishius Vulgaris Ingeniusi
• Eatius-Slobbius
• Hardheadipus Oedipus
• Carnivorous Slobbius
• Hard-Headipus Ravenus
• Evereadii Eatibus
• Apetitius Giganticus
• Hungrii Flea-Bagius
• Overconfidentii Vulgaris
• Caninus Nervous Rex
• Grotesques Appetitus
• Nemesis Riduclii
• Canis latrans

Fox

d fox
Difficulty	1
Attacks	Bite 1d3

d fox
Difficulty	1
Attacks	Bite 1d3
Base level	0
Base experience	4
Speed	15
Base AC	7
Base MR	0
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Very rare
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	300
Nutritional value	250
Size	Small
Resistances	None
Resistances conveyed	None
A fox: is an animal. has no hands. is a carnivore. is always hostile. is visible by infravision.
Reference	monst.c#line205

A fox is one of the earliest monsters your NetHack character will encounter. Out of the early monsters, it is one of the more difficult ones and can be dangerous for weak level 1 characters. However, more experienced characters and fighter types will have few problems with the fox.

Encyclopedia entry

One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard
till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine
which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing
to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he
took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning
round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with
no greater success. Again and again he tried after the
tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked
away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are
sour."
        [ Aesop's Fables ]

Dingo

d Dingo
Difficulty	5
Attacks	Bite: 1d6

d Dingo
Difficulty	5
Attacks	Bite: 1d6
Base level	4
Base experience	44
Speed	16
Base AC	5
Base MR	0
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Very rare
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	400
Nutritional value	200
Size	medium
Resistances	None
Resistances conveyed	None

A dingo is a relatively easy to defeat monster that can be found anywhere from early in the game to the player's last level spent in the dungeons. A couple dingos will provide a decent meal, as each has a nutritional value of 200.

Encyclopedia entry

A wolflike wild dog, Canis dingo, of Australia, having a
reddish- or yellowish-brown coat, believed to have been
introduced by the aborigines.
[Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language]

Wolf

d Wolf
Difficulty	6
Attacks	Bite: 2d4

d Wolf
Difficulty	6
Attacks	Bite: 2d4
Base level	5
Base experience	59
Speed	12
Base AC	4
Base MR	0
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Quite rare
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	500
Nutritional value	250
Size	Small
Resistances	None
Resistances conveyed	None

A wolf is a relatively easy to deal with monster that appears in the second half of the early game. Wolves are not a dangerous threat to a moderately prepared player. Far more dangerous are winter wolves.

Warg

d Warg
Difficulty	8
Attacks	Bite: 2d6

d Warg
Difficulty	8
Attacks	Bite: 2d6
Base level	7
Base experience	95
Speed	12
Base AC	4
Base MR	0
Alignment	-5 (chaotic)
Frequency (by normal means)	Quite rare
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	850
Nutritional value	350
Size	Medium
Resistances	None
Resistances conveyed	None

A warg is basically a big wolf. Wargs appear in packs, and while not terribly fast, can do enough damage as a group to warrant a mention. By the time the player encounters them, however, they should not pose a large danger.

Winter Wolf

d Winter wolf
Difficulty	9
Attacks	Bite: 2d6 Breathes cold: 2d6

d Winter wolf
Difficulty	9
Attacks	Bite: 2d6 Breathes cold: 2d6
Base level	7
Base experience	105
Speed	12
Base AC	4
Base MR	20
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Very rare, never in Gehennom
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	700
Nutritional value	300
Size	Large
Resistances	Cold
Resistances conveyed	Cold (47%)

Winter wolves are the adult versions of winter wolf cubs. Unlike the cubs, winter wolves do not ordinarily appear until after the player has gained cold resistance. They are still very dangerous, however, traveling in packs and dealing long range damage that can shatter potions.

Winter Wolf Cubs

d Winter wolf cub
Difficulty	7
Attacks	Bite: 1d8 Breathes cold: 1d6

d Winter wolf cub
Difficulty	7
Attacks	Bite: 1d8 Breathes cold: 1d6
Base level	5
Base experience	67
Speed	12
Base AC	4
Base MR	0
Alignment	-5 (chaotic)
Frequency (by normal means)	Quite rare, never in Gehennom
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	250
Nutritional value	200
Size	Small
Resistances	Cold
Resistances conveyed	Cold (33%)

A winter wolf cub is a young winter wolf. These monsters are particularly dangerous because they appear in the dungeons early enough that the player might not have cold resistance, and appear in packs. Winter wolf cubs have a long range frost attack which can shatter potions and inflict significant damage on the player. Wand them quickly.

Winter wolf cubs respect Elbereth, but have no aversion to attacking you with the frost attack from afar.

Hell Hound

d hell hound
Difficulty	14
Attacks	Bite 3d6, fire breath 3d6

d hell hound
Difficulty	14
Attacks	Bite 3d6, fire breath 3d6
Base level	12
Base experience	286
Speed	14
Base AC	2
Base MR	20
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Very rare, only in Gehennom
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	600
Nutritional value	300
Size	Medium
Resistances	Fire
Resistances conveyed	Fire

In NetHack and SLASH'EM, a hell hound d is a monster associated with fire. In SLASH'EM, it might be most familiar as the pet of a Flame Mage, after it grows from a hell hound pup.

The NetHack database describes hell hounds this way:

"Hell hounds are fire-breathing canines from another plane of existence brought here in the service of evil beings. A hell hound resembles a large hound with rust-red or red-brown fur, and red, glowing eyes. The markings, teeth, and tongue are soot black. It stands two to three feet high at the shoulder and has a distinct odour of smoke and sulphur. The baying sounds it makes have an eerie, hollow tone that sends a shiver through any who hear them."

Hell hounds typically fight in melee, like other dogs.

In previous versions

In versions of NetHack from Hack 1.0.2 through NetHack 3.0.10, a hell hound can be found inside the room in which the Wizard of Yendor is hiding with the Amulet of Yendor. These hell hounds do not have breath weapons until NetHack 3.0.0.

Hell Hound Pups

d hell hound pup
Difficulty	9
Attacks	Bite 2d6, fire breath 2d6

d hell hound pup
Difficulty	9
Attacks	Bite 2d6, fire breath 2d6
Base level	7
Base experience	105
Speed	12
Base AC	4
Base MR	20
Alignment	-5 (chaotic)
Frequency (by normal means)	Very rare, only in Gehennom, usually in small groups
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	200
Nutritional value	200
Size	Small
Resistances	Fire
Resistances conveyed	Fire

A hell hound pup is a young version of a hell hound. If you are discovering hell hound pups you are no doubt about to discover hell hounds. With fire resistance these monsters are not too difficult.

In SLASH'EM, a Flame Mage starts with a hell hound pup as a pet.

See Also

• werejackal
• little dog
• dog
• large dog
• werewolf