This article is part of a directory: Baldur's Gate 3: Complete Guide And Walkthrough
Table of contents

If you're already bored with your party in Baldur's Gate 3, have no fear − there's another pawsome companion itching to join your camp: Scratch the dog. You can stumble upon a dog in the game and with the right skillset, you can recruit him to join your camp.

5:32
Other Pets Are Available
Baldur's Gate 3: How To Get The Owlbear Cub
BG3 ups the stakes by allowing players to have an owlbear cub at their camps. Here's how to obtain the half-bear, half-owl creature.

Dogs are everyone's best friend, but Scratch is useful for reasons other than just being a cutie pie. Whether you are looking for an extra helping hand or just love dogs, this guide will detail how you find Scratch and get him to come home with you.

Updated January 17, 2023 by Alexis Campbell: Everyone loves a good boy and Scratch is the best. This guide has been updated to include Patch 5 changes as well as Scratch's unique miniquest encounter in Rivington.

Where To Find Scratch

baldurs gate 3 map near blighted village

Scratch can be found right by the Blighted Village. North of the bridge linking the village to the Grove. The Owlbear cave is just below this area.

Right before entering the village, take a right towards the woods where you will find a dog and a dead body.

As with most interactions in Baldur's Gate 3, you'll want to save before you approach Scratch, since one bad roll can send him running.

You will have multiple options here. You can:

  • Try to convince the dog that his owner is dead,
  • Pretend the owner is okay but welcome the dog anyway
  • Disregard him.

The dog thinks his owner is sleeping and is trying to protect him from strangers like you.

baldurs gate 3 scratch dialogue

You can do a Perception check to read his collar, an Intimidation check to make him less aggressive, or a Persuasion check to convince him you are not the enemy. We recommend the Perception check to read his collar or the Persuasion check as failing your Intimidation check may have unwanted consequences.

Tell Scratch that you won't hurt him and, when the option presents itself, tell Scratch to use your scent to follow you to camp later.

After Scratch has smelled your scent, he will disappear and reappear at your camp two nights later.

If you have a potion of Animal Speaking or the spell to do so, this interaction will be easier but result in the same outcome.

Throwing A Ball Around & Finding Hidden Items

baldurs gate 3 player petting scratch in camp

There are all kinds of benefits to having Scratch at your camp. The first and clearly most important reason is that you can pet and play with him at any time. When you retreat to camp, you can interact with Scratch to pet him.

Petting him will also lead to several companions' approval, which shows you who the animal lovers in your party really are (and no, Lae'zel unfortunately isn't one of them).

baldurs gate 3 aiming a ball for scratch

Scratch will eventually provide you with a ball, which you can carry in your inventory and throw around for him at camp whenever you want. You need to pass skill checks for either Strength, Sleight of Hand, or Animal Handling to get the ball away from him. He will then drop the ball.

You can pick it up and place it in your hotbar so that you can throw it. Scratch will chase it and bring it back to you. When he brings it back it will go straight into your inventory again.

Make sure to interact with him every time you are at camp, so that you don't miss out on finding a ball or pouch in his mouth.

Scratch also has a nose for finding items. Occasionally, you will notice that he's carrying a pouch in his mouth. Interact with him and ask if he can let it go. As per usual dog activity, you will have to play tug-o-war to get it out of his mouth (Strength) or Persuade him to give it up.

These items range from useless objects like bones to handy items such as healing potions and the dreaded sausage.

Hitting Scratch unintentionally makes him hostile towards you, and he will attack. At this point, there is no known way to undo this, as knocking him out appears to kill him. Additionally, if the battle breaks out in camp with Astarion present but not active in your party, Astarion will join the fight automatically and kill Scratch (bad vampire!).

The only way to save Scratch in this unintended scenario is to reload a prior save, as Withers will not revive him.

In Honour Mode, this unfortunately means you will have to say goodbye to your poor canine companion.

How To Return Scratch (Or, More Acceptably, How Not To)

Sorcerer and Scratch find Sword Coast Couriers location in Baldur's Gate 3

Unfortunately, Scratch is not exactly your dog to keep - though that certainly won't stop us from trying. On paper, he belongs to a delivery company in Baldur's Gate.

To start Scratch's unique quest encounter, you'll have to make your way into Act Three and to the outer city town of Rivington.

Sorcerer talks with Mar'hyah the dog trainer at Sword Coast Couriers in Baldur's Gate 3

Across the street from the Open Hand Temple is the post office known as the Sword Coast Couriers. Enter the building and take the first door on the right to enter an outdoors area where you'll see several cages with dogs and two NPCs.

Speak to either NPC, and Scratch will appear to accompany you in this encounter if you cast "Find Familiar: Scratch" or whistle to him during the spoken encounter.

We recommend drinking a Potion of Speak Animals before entering the area to hear Scratch's opinion on the matter.

Mar'hyah demands you return Scratch to her in Baldur's Gate 3

Mar'hyah will ask what you're doing here, and you should respond with "Is this dog yours?"

She'll demand that you return Scratch, and all the dialogue options will eventually lead to these options:

  1. Tell Scratch that there's nothing you can do. [Return Scratch]
  2. Intimidate her.
  3. Persuade her into thinking Scratch isn't a good courier dog.
  4. Attack.
Player fails check to Intimidate Mar'hyah into giving up Scratch in Baldur's Gate 3

If you fail to Intimidate or Persuade her the first time, don't worry; you'll get the chance to use the other option and re-roll.

If you fail both but don't want to give up Scratch, you'll have to Attack her. Attacking her via this method is not a crime, and she's a weak Level 3 that most of your party will be able to destroy before she gets the chance to move.

Player pets Scratch as she celebrates keeping him in Baldur's Gate 3

Successfully Intimidating or Persuading her will lead to the halfling accusing her of animal abuse. You'll have a second check here that will end the questline in one of two ways:

  • Success: She'll leave the kennels peacefully, and the halfling, Oyster, will become the new owner of the kennels
  • Failure: Oyster will flee the kennels, and Mar'hyah will take over completely.

Either way will result in you keeping Scratch, however.

Scratch gets adopted in Patch 5 Epilogue of Baldur's Gate 3

As of Patch 5, choosing this path will result in Scratch getting adopted by a little girl named Mindy. In this epilogue ending, Scratch is treated with love and warmth as he lives in the comforts of Baldur's Gate. He will, however, remain with you as a loyal companion and friend until the events of the game are finished.

What Happens If You Return Scratch, And Can I Get Him Back?

Scratch is sad as he sits abandoned in cage after player gives him up in Baldur's Gate 3

If you choose to give Scratch to Mar'hyah, he will be placed in one of the cages in the back. Scratch's Find Familiar spell will be removed, and he will no longer be present in your camp.

If you choose this option, you are objectively a bad person.

Player decides on how to tell Scratch goodbye in Baldur's Gate 3

Speaking to Scratch will reaffirm this as you will be unable to comfort him in his cage and can only tell him that this is goodbye forever.

It is heavily implied that Mar'hyah will abuse Scratch once you leave, and he shall remain in his cage as property of the Sword Coast Couriers.

At this point, you should return to the Magic Mirror at camp to reflect on the consequences of your actions and search your camp chest for the heart you appear to have misplaced.

Scratch is excited to see player return for him while trapped in cage in Baldur's Gate 3

If you regret this (and you probably will, you evil person), you can rescue Scratch by killing Mar'hyah and opening his cage. This will return Scratch to your camp (where he belongs.)

This does count as murder for the town guard if you're overheard attacking her without choosing the dialogue option, so best to do this stealthily.

Although this is a murder in the eyes of the Flaming Fist, it is not a murder in the eyes of the gods. If you are playing as a Paladin, this is the only confirmed outright murder in the game that will not result in breaking your oath. Even Larian knew that giving up Scratch was pure evil.

Next
Baldur's Gate 3: How To Recruit All The Secret Summonable Companions
There are some companions that are pretty easy to miss in your playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3. Learn how to summon them in this guide.