Having the ability to pet the animals you encounter has become quite an important requirement for video games these days. So much so that it's difficult to find a modern AAA game where you can't pet the dog/cat/alien creature, and many people seem to think that such is the case with Diablo 4.
Obviously, everyone enjoys it when a game has these little interactive scenarios (even if they don't do much beyond play a short cutscene), but there seems to be something particularly frustrating for players about not being able to pet the animals they encounter in games. At first, it may seem like Diablo 4 has committed this cardinal sin (pun intended). However, there is a way!
How To Pet The Dogs In Diablo 4
In most games, petting an animal is usually done via a button prompt. You approach the dog, a button shows up labeled 'Pet', and that's the end of it. But, as is weirdly commonplace in Diablo 4, the hidden solution is to emote.
By pressing up on the d-pad if you're playing on controller, or E if you're playing on mouse & keyboard, you'll open up the emote wheel and if you use the 'Hello!' emote right next to the dog then your character will bend down and pet them! Note that the mechanic is a bit finicky. You have to be right next to the dog and facing them, otherwise, your character may just wave at it.
And this isn't all. As if to reward players for figuring out how to pet the dog, once you do so, the dog seems to take a liking to you and actually follows you around the city in question.
Where Can You Find Dogs
There are dogs in every major settlement in Sanctuary. If you've perchance never seen one, or just simply want to try this method out immediately, simply fast-travel to the Kyovashad waypoint, which is unlocked quite early in the game. The dogs, however, are never in the same specific location as they can wander throughout the whole city, so you may have to walk around for a while until you spot them.
Can You Pet Other Animals?
Though they're a bit harder to find, you can also come across cats in cities and give them some well-deserved belly rubs. Cats are usually indoors. You can find other animals in cities, such as goats and chickens, but none of these are pettable.