Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS: (Part 2 of 3) Walkthrough and Tips

The following is a "walkthrough" of what I've been doing in the game. Tips might also be included and will likely be highlighted in blue.*
(*Yes, I'm aware this game came out in 2011. It's new to me though! So this is what I'm doing. Nyah nyah.)

I received this game used. Anyone who has the option to get this game used, I highly recommend it. It might be a tad cheaper and the game you get might still have the previous owner's game saved on to it. As someone who gets a wee bit impatient saving money at the beginning of a game, this was great for me. The previous owner, Rebecca, had four dogs and a cat, a bunch of various supplies, a fancy (cost in game $3000) house, approx $3000 in cash, and everything had been unlocked. I chose to keep her game as opposed to starting a new one. Worked for me! Thanks Rebecca!

The first picture I took in game was of her two dogs and her cat. I made a point to not pay much attention to the breeds/names/looks of the pets, as I was immediately getting rid of them, and I'm quick to get attached to things sometimes. I do recall the cat's name was Deoblo. (Spelled that way. Yeah.) So I got rid of all but the cat, purchased my very first pup, and then got rid of her cat. (Can't get rid of all your pets at once. Must have at least one)




My Pups.
I immediately picked a German shepherd ($1,280) and named it Jethro. I've always wanted a German Shepherd named Jethro. Haha.

I then got a french bulldog ($1,580) I named Toby. Again, always wanted a pup named Toby. I actually wasn't sure of the breed at first, but I did fall in love with the French Bulldogs, and when I saw this guy, I knew he was for me.

By then I was pretty broke so I stuck with these guys for about a day before I thought to sell the items I didn't want in order to come up with another pup. Rebecca had a gold crown and a gold collar that sold for $1,500 each. THANKS Rebecca! Originally I was going to keep the gold for myself, but then realized two things: 1, They were pretty ugly. And 2, They were earned... so I might as well earn my own if I want them, right?

Then I was stuck, because I knew I wanted another dog, but I didn't know what breed I wanted. I ended up taking quite a while, first eliminating breeds I knew I didn't want and then just using the "Surprise Me!" Option on the breed I did want until I found a pup I liked. Surprise Me! is a great way to get options on pups that might not normally be available. (The most common is an all white dog.)

 I settled on this pretty gal.

A Miniature Pinscher ($1,280) I named Zoey.

Soon enough, after watching me play, my boyfriend asked to have a dog too. Since I can have up to six dogs, I let him have one.

He chose a black lab he named Lulu. His own family pet, a female black lab mix named Meeko, was put down a few months ago. I have a feeling this is why he chose a black lab.


It was a couple of days after that I decided I wanted a RoboPup to be my sixth pup, but still needed a fifth pup.

 I settled on a Shiba Inu named Falafel.



It was another day or so until I managed to save up the scraps I needed for Mr. Recycle to make me a voucher for a RoboPup. The scraps needed for a voucher are: 7 wood, 5, metal, 7 rubber, 7 leather, 7 plastic, and 3 stardust. In a new game, you have to unlock RoboPup first. Rebecca already had it unlocked. (Thanks Rebecca!) Once I had the voucher, it took me another day to decide what color combination I would get. I settled on red and yellow.

Behold, Tony Bark, because he reminds me of Iron Man. He responds to Tony.

And those are my six pups. Yes, this is Nintendogs + Cats, but I'm not much of a cat person, so I chose not to have a cat. If I want to play with a cat I'll just bring a pup to the Cafe on Downtown road, and play with Precious.


Interior Decorator.
There are 9 different rooms you can purchase to remodel your home that range from $0-$5000 in price. The prices for the first six depend mostly on which version of the game you purchase. Just from curiosity, I decided to go ahead and try every single room, so you can see them here. I took the pictures by just rotating around a pup.

Japanese Style

Country Home Style

Asian Style

Scandinavian Style

Modern Style

Fairy Tale Style

Luxurious Style ($3000)

Mario Style ($4000)

Futuristic Style ($5000)

When I browsed through in Interior Decorator, I thought I'd like Luxurious, Mario, and Futuristic. I already had Luxurious though, (thanks Rebecca!) so I figured I'd either settle on Futuristic or Mario for now. However, I don't think I do like Futuristic now that I've tried it out. I like Country Home Style though. So for now, I have Mario Style, and mayhaps sometime in the future I'll switch it to Country Home.

After deciding on Mario for sure, I grabbed my helicopter and took some pics around the house from a slightly higher view when I'd chosen.




Feeding the Pups.

There are 4 types of dog food and 2 types of drink, and they can be found when you select the BARC Pet Supply shop in the "Shopping" section of "Go Out"

~ Dry Food is the basic pup chow. It costs the least ($3) and is good if you're low on money, don't want to spend too much on food, or only one of your pups are hungry.
~ Wet Food costs $5. The description says it has a high calorie content, so be wary of overfeeding your pups with it, as it can cause them to gain weight. It's great, however, if your pups are too skinny. Jethro and Lulu were both skinny when I got them from the Kennel, so I fed them Wet Food as often as they would eat it. (Pups will normally eat at any level except "full", although if your pet is ideal or plump, avoid overfeeding)
~ Diet Food costs $5 as well and it's, well, it's in case you need to slim down a plump pup. Falafel was plump when I got him from the kennel, so he got diet food.
~ Fine Food is the most expensive at $7 and is "nutritionally balanced", so aside from the basic Dry Food, it's a good neutral food to feed the pups.

Water is the cheapest drink, at only $1, while Formula is $3. According to the nintendogs wiki, Formula is the best drink (I'd hope so if it costs three times more than water...) and gives you more trainer points than water.


There are also treats available at the Pet Supply Store. Three types, each costing $1, $2, and $3. I haven't found much difference in the way the pups behave from each one, though one of the neighbors you pass when you go on walks mentions the more expensive kinds might be preferred. There's also a couple of treats only available on walks or using the pedometer. The Surprise treat will make your pup's bark higher pitched for a bit.


Grooming.

Brushes and Shampoo are also available at the same BARC store as the food.  A short hair brush and a long hair brush are each $20, and the two shampoos available are $3 and $6. I can't really see much difference in the two shampoos, I originally thought the $3 shampoo takes a bit longer to clean your pup, but I'm not sure about that one.

Pups will get dirty or filthy either by lack of bathing, if they play in a puddle, or eat trash while on a walk. It's good to bath them if their status is "Normal" or less.

A neighbor mentions something along the lines of "when you bathe your pup, be sure to bathe him from head to tail!" Simple, but incorrect, and it bothers me. If you go near your pup's head with the sponge or the shower head, they'll shake their little heads and sneeze. It was the same in the DS version. (Although in the DS version they also didn't like you scrubbing their tail.) Don't bathe their heads. Go at it elsewhere though, you can even use the joystick to move around your pet and get everywhere. The shower head option will start blinking when you've done a good enough job scrubbing, then simply rinse them off. Continue rinsing until they're sparkly and the screen says they look beautiful.
If the pup is only "clean", a good brushing will help them get beautiful again. This is best done by brushing certain parts of your pup until you see the tiny firework. Make sure to get the chest, tummy, back, and legs. Continue until pup is sparkly. And don't forget to make sure to use the right brush for your pup.



Walks.

Walks can be done one of two ways, normally, or via "pedometer".

By selecting "Pedometer" in the "Go Out" option, (and choosing a pup,) you can now just close the 3DS and walk/run around. Folks also achieve this by shaking or rocking their 3DS.

The number of steps you take determine the presents you end up with. For instance, 10-99 steps, you'll get 1-9 $1 Biscuits. 100-999 steps, you could get 1-9 of a different treat, (A lame deal if you ask me, 9 $3 treats for walking 900 steps? Gee thanks.) and so on and so forth with the highest option being 99999 or more steps resulting in a Gold Bar, which is essentially useless and only sells for $3,333. I like to set my pups on this when I'm going out, then tucking the 3DS in my pocket, or the carrier and taking it with me. For me, it's more of a "I wonder how many steps I took" than a "Oooo! What lame present do I get?"

The more steps you take, the happier your pet will be when the walk is through.



You can also go for a normal walk with your pup.

There are four main roads you can go down. Each road looks to be straight and will magically end at your house. I've drawn up what I think the map looks like...

~ *The yellow spot marked START is placed there because it is the most common start for a walk, although occasionally, you'll automatically start your walk already on a side street.
~ A BARC Pet Supply store is located on all four roads and each have different items for sale. It's good to check them all for things you might want.
~ There is a park located on the mountains and seaside roads. These parks are good for practicing throwing discs, though not so great if there's more than one dog around. The park in the mountains is a large grassy field, and the one at the seaside is sandy. It's good to practice on the sand so it won't slow you down in higher levels of the Disc Competition.
~ The downtown road has a gym where you can practice the Lure Course.
~ Downtown also has a Cafe where you can go to treat your pup to a cake, and play with Precious, (the fat cat who lives there) or another dog, if you decided to go on a doggy play date.
~ If you successfully maneuver your pup through a set of cones - without hitting any of them - you'll be rewarded with a present.
~ Make sure to visit every grassy patch you can, giving your pup a chance to relieve themselves, and occasionally even score you a present.
~Walks are where you will pick up scraps for Mr. Recycle to make things for you. Personally, I find wood most often in the mountains, rubber is found downtown, plastic is found at the seaside, and leather is found on the main road. Everything else is pretty random, though Stardust seems to be easier to find at night.

Meeting pups and hearing what your neighbors have to say can be fun sometimes. Friendlier pups will obviously have an easier time making friends.

Your pup will poop on walks. Not all walks, but a lot of them.

 At which point, be sure to pick up after them.


Keep your pup away from trash. Eating trash can result in a filthy pup, and who wants that?

To stop your pup, tug on the leash. (By "tug", I mean "yank") Keep tugging until your pup turns to face you with an "!" above their head.

Then give them a treat.

Same goes for puddles. (And hydrants and mailboxes too though NOT because your pup will get filthy, but rather because, apparently, it's considered "rude")

Also, be on the lookout for these signs:

They're the way to the "Secret Path".  Every road has a chance to have Secret Paths show up, though they will not always be there. Each Secret Path will have extra presents and grassy patches in the Mountains, (more opportunities for presents in the grass) or extra presents and extra cones in the downtown and seaside areas.


Occasionally, your pet might bring you a present with a Piggy Bank inside. DON'T SELL IT. It sells for a measly $5.

 If you bring it out, shake it a bit and drop it, and you can get more.

The most I've gotten from a Piggy Bank is $100, though mostly it's around $15. Still, better chances of getting more than just $5.

When you're done with your walk, remember to check your pup. It's possible they might be hungry, thirsty, or filthy after a walk, so take care.



Competitions.

There are three competitions available to run through with your pup. There are five level Cups of each competition, and each level is unlocked by placing 1st in the previous level. Each pup can enter each competition 2 times a day.

 That means you have the potential of earning $18,000 a day. That is of course, if you have six pups, run them through the Nintendogs Cup on every comp, and somehow manage 1st places all around on that day. Still though, it's the best way to earn money. Even getting 0 points will leave you in third place, and in the lowest level, that's $10.

 First place in the lowest level is $100, and second is half that. Third place prizes go up in increments of $10, depending on level, while first place goes up in $100 increments. Second place is always half of first.

The three different competitions are Disc, Lure Coursing, and Obedience.
The level cups are Junior, Amateur, Pro, Master, and Nintendogs.

I personally was never a fan of the Obedience Trials on the DS Nintendogs, and the same goes for the 3DS, so I've stopped working on those Cups. I might go back to them eventually, but for now, I have more fun not having to teach my pups tricks via mic whilst using a monotone voice. (ugh)


The disc competition gives you a certain amount of time to throw a disc for your pup to catch. Catching the disc gives points based on how far away they are, and an extra point is given if they jump to catch it. If the disc bounces off the boundaries, they miss it, and that's your fault. The higher the Cup, the longer the arena and trickier it will get.

Bonus rings are added at Amateur Cup and above. You get an extra two points if they catch the disc within this area.

 When your pup has caught the disc, (or fetched it if they missed) be sure to tap the screen to get them to come back to you. Eventually your pup will learn to come back immediately. When they do return, an untrained pup will play tug of war before relinquishing the disc. When training, (at the park or at home) a pat on the head until the tiny fireworks show will teach them to not play tug of war. You can also do this in the competition, but that might take extra time away from you, so just tugging might be the best option.

 At Pro Cup and above, sandy areas are added to the bonus rings. If you haven't trained on a beach, these sandy areas can possibly slow your pup down and prevent them from reaching the disc.

 The discs you can buy/get from Mr. Recycle/find as a present are almost all different in difficulty. Test them before choosing the right one to go in to your competition. For instance, the yellow disc shown above is easier to throw farther than the basic orange disc, (shown in the pic above the yellow disc) so it's not recommended to use the yellow disc in an Amateur Cup, as it will be all too easy to overthrow and hit a boundary, resulting in missed catches from your pup.

Placing in Disc is maddeningly inconsistent, because it not only depends on how well your pup does, but also how well the other two pups do in the competition. For instance, in the Junior Cup, it's possible to nab first place with 16 points. It's also possible 16 points will land you in third. Just do the best you can and hope that the other pups do worse than you. lol.



Next is Lure Coursing. You use your lure to get your pup to run the course as fast as they can. The pup with the best time wins.

 Your touch screen will show the reel. Reel the lure fast enough to stay ahead of your pup, but not so fast you get too far.

If you're too close, your pup will jump and attempt to catch the lure. Way too close and the pup will catch the lure. If you're too far, the pup will lose interest and sit down. You have to reel the lure just right, or round abouts... imagine a 1-10 scale. 1-3 is too slow, and 7-10 is too fast. Keep it around 4-6, with 4 being the optimum speed. The closer you are to "too slow", the faster your pup will run, and vice versa with "too fast".

If you are going way too slow, and your pup catches you, push the squeaker in the middle of the reel, which will make the pup let go.

Lures, like Discs, often have different difficulties. The rainbow lure below is the fastest lure in game, so it's not suggested to use in a lower level cup. Use a lure that you feel confident consistently reeling in.

In the Junior cup, all you have to worry about is turns. Amateur cup adds path crossing, and Pro and above have hurdles. Master and above have taller hurdles as well. To jump the hurdles, stop your lure in the highlighted area and press the squeaker in the middle of the reel until your pup jumps.

 Your pup will slow down if they bump in to another pup during a crossing path, so be careful and hope for the best.

The same rule applies for Lure as it does for Disc - do your very best, and hope the others do worse. Sometimes the other two pups will run the course flawlessly, other times they'll screw up. You can get third place with a score one time, and first place with the same score the next time. You never know.

The best advice I have for these competitions? Practice. Neighbors will urge you to give your pups practice at the parks and the gym, but they don't seem to mention you.  You are often a big factor in whether your pup will do its best or its worst. It took me quite a few tries to even get the mechanics down in the lure, (definitely not used to making touch screen circles at a continuous speed) and I'm never good at aiming in Disc. I train my pups for disc so that I don't have to rely on the bonus points from Bonus rings because of my awful aim.

Many times I've thrown a disc too far, so it hits the boundary and pup gets a "miss" or I'll aim at a bonus ring and undershoot it, which gets your pup less points if they catch it... and that's the deciding factor on whether they're first or third. Or sometimes I'll get too close to the pup with the lure and it makes the jump to catch it. Maybe too far and it sits down. That extra second or two it takes to get them back on track can change the outcome completely.

Point is, try to do the best you can as well.



As far as Obedience Trials go, be sure to have your AR Cards ready, because they're required to participate. Make sure you yourself are in a well lit area, because too dark means the 3DS won't see the AR Card right in front of it. If you don't have your AR Cards, and have the internet handy, a google search for them can provide you with an acceptable enough picture for them to use straight on the computer or phone screen. If you're using that method, it doesn't matter how lit your room is, because the screen itself is light enough. Just make sure your phone doesn't go dark before the trial is over.

When training your pup, you'll need to speak the word for the trick three successful times in order for the pup to learn. Use the same intonation each time and remember that intonation, because that's how you'll have to say it if you ever want the pup to use the trick. Clearly and in monotone is easiest for me. Also, personally, I find using one word works better for me than using two words for a trick. I'm more likely to get the intonation right with one word. Use treats when you can, especially if your pup is refusing to learn, as it might just be grumpy it hasn't gotten a treat yet. 


That's essentially all I have for you! I love this game, and hope you didn't mind me going through it too much. Stay tuned for some extra pictures!

Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS: (Part 1 of 3)  Comparison and Review
Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS: (Part 3 of 3) Extra Picture Dump