This article is part of a directory: Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Complete Guide & Walkthrough
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Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game that is full of secrets, puzzles, and hidden treasures. The highly-reviewed game does a fantastic job not hand holding and players are really free to explore the world and discover its mysteries at their own pace. Link can interact with just about every person and object on the enormous map and the adorable dogs hanging out in villages are no exceptions. As a matter of fact, interacting with dogs in the right way will help players discover hidden buried treasures in Breath of the Wild.

Much like with horses, players can bond with the Hyrule shepherds by interacting with them and creating loyalty. Once the bond is strong enough, the dogs will be inclined to lead Link to a hidden treasure that he can unearth with Magnesis. Although players can always take a horse to a stable to check on the current bond strength, there is no way to gauge the bond with a dog outside of their behavior. Here are the ways that players can build that bond and trigger the pink puffs that signify growing loyalty...

  • Stand near a dog and look at it. The first step is pretty easy. This should trigger the pink puff the first time.
  • Share some food with the dog. Drop any food in front of the dog and they should eat it. They don't seem to be very picky about what type of food is shared.
  • Once enough bond has built built up that the dog will follow Link around, try some short sprints. The dog will play chase and run after the player.
  • [Unconfirmed] Play fetch. If players have a tree branch equipped, they can throw the branch and the dog will run after it. Game Rant hasn't actually seen this method work, but other players are claiming it does increase bond.

After all of those steps have been performed enough times to build up a strong bond, the dog should run off and lead Link towards a hidden treasure. The dog will lead the way to a treasure chest that is half buried and overgrown with grass and the player can use Link's Magnesis power to pull the chest free. So far, all of these chests have been full of valuable rupees in our experience.

Go make some puppy friends and find a few treasures!

Have you managed to find some hidden treasure with the help of the Hyrule shepherds? Let us know in the comments.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now on the Switch and Wii U.