Getting Started

...just enough info to get going...

Congratulations! You are the proud owner of a new pet from the Virtual Kennel Club (VKC®).

You'll find an object with the name of the breed of dog (or other animal) that you chose in your Objects folder. Drag this object from your inventory onto the ground in front of you ("rez" him). DO NOT open his contents like you would a box of clothing or you'll break him. Once your pet appears, he is ready to go.

You can command him now by typing commands into the Chat window. The commands are always in the format petName command, like "pup sit" or "pup come" or "kitten come".

You can get a list of all the commands your pet knows if you type "pup help". If he's a cat, try "kitten help" and if he's a rabbit, try "rabbit help".

You should rename your pet right away.

  • If he is a dog (or a wolf or a bear), say "pup name" then his new name, like "pup name Spot the Magnificent".

  • If he is a cat, say "kitten name" then his new name, like "kitten name Felix the Fabulous".

  • If he is a rabbit, say "rabbit name" then his new name, like "rabbit name Thumper".
You should name your pet with proper capitalization, but you can use all lower-case when you command him.

To put your pet back into inventory, right-click on him and select "Take".

Here are some simple one-word commands that your pet knows to start with:

  • sit
  • stand
  • down (lay down)
  • bang (play dead)
  • beg
  • bellyup
  • shake
  • come
  • heel (only for the owner)
  • wag (wag your tail)
  • speak (bark)
  • sniff
  • wander
  • rove
  • roll
  • itch
  • pounce
  • help
Rather than explain what these do, I'll let you discover them for yourself. (They're pretty self-explanatory, really.) You will always say your pet's name first, followed by the command. For example, say "fido sit" and he sits down.

You can get a short list of things that your pet knows by saying "fido help" and you can get the full manual by saying "fido manual".

If English is not your first language, please visit our VKC Essentials page. We have instructions in many languages!

Something really important for new owners

Your new pet will probably be very excited to explore his new home. New pets often run off to check out all your stuff and they can disappear from sight very quickly. One of the most common things that happens is that a brand new owner adopts a pet in the park and races off home to rez them. They rez their pet and he is really excited and runs off to look at things. The new owner comes back to the park saying that they lost their dog.

When you first rez him, say "pup settle", or "kitten settle", or "rabbit settle". This tells your pet to stay on the parcel of land where you first rezzed him. (Be sure to name your pet right away as described above. For the remainder of our instructions, we will assume you named your pet Fido.) If you have a large parcel, or a whole region, try using "stay" instead. Say, "fido stay 10" to keep him in a 10 square meter area, or "fido stay 20" to give him a bit more room to explore.


Food

Your VKC Pets don't need food, but if you want to buy them bowls or other accessories, we have a fine range for you to choose from.


Accessories

Don't forget to pick up some free toys for your pet from the little Kiosk near the Clinic in the Dog Parks. We also have a number of vendors in and around the parks with a wide range of fabulous accessories for your pet. Look for the Registered Accessory Creator signs in their stores.


Updates

Make a note in your diary to visit our VKC Dog Parks and give your pet a regular check-up at the Clinic where he will get any new software updates. And if you lose your pet, don't worry. You will always be able to find him again at the Clinic.


Problems?

Don't panic! We can help. If you get stuck or if your pet has a problem, you can go to any of the Clinics in the VKC Dog parks and say "help". The Clinic will put you in touch with one of our VKC Proven Trainers. If no one is on line, the Clinic will email all the Trainers and someone will call you back.


Lost your new pet? Delivery failed from Marketplace?

Don't worry. Come to one of the Clinics and say "claim" and the name of your pet. For example, say: "claim fido" and the Clinic will deliver him back to you.

If it is a brand new pet and the Marketplace delivery failed, you can say:

claim pup - for a dog, bear or wolf
claim kitten - for a cat
claim rabbit - for a rabbit

If you get stuck, say "help" at the Clinic and we'll get you and your pet reunited as quickly as possible.

Clinics: Turing Isle You can also find Clinics at Caledon, Endeavour Cove on Earpoint, and Gold Rush Ranch on Zecksnine.


Things to Know About VKC Pets

  • They see people and things around them.
  • They listen to people.
  • They are aware of their environment.
  • They interact with and react to their environment.
  • They are curious.
  • They learn!
  • They remember the people and things they meet.
  • You can teach them your own tricks!
  • You can condition them to behave the way you want.
  • Because they learn, each VKC Pet becomes unique.
  • Every VKC Dog's life experience is different, so they act in different ways.
  • Most of the pets are NOT TRANSFERABLE, but you can send them as gifts from the SL Marketplace or from the Gift Vendor in the Parks.



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