Creating the character

Required Basic Form on DA

Name: (names must be unique from other dogs in the group!)

Age: (See our aging system below!)

Gender: (male, female, non-binary, or any other gender identity)

Breed: (Must be realistic)

Weight: (Keep within realistic breed standards. If a mutt, make sure it follows one of the breeds. If underweight/overweight, please specify.)

Height: (Keep within realistic breed standards.  If a mutt, make sure it follows one of the breeds.)

Faction: Pets, Farmstead, Junkyard, or Strays

Notoriety Level: (everybody starts at “Nobody,” level 1)

Job: (Go to their faction page and choose a job that suits them. This is not optional.)

Council Rank: (This applies only to dogs who are on the Canine Council. Read more about this in the council on how to get here. Leave this blank for now, or remove it if you are not interested in the council.)

Personality: (This must be at least 300 words and include at least 5 traits. Please give your character a mix of strengths and flaws. Highlight or list the traits separately. The trait list doesn't count towards total word count.)

Backstory: (This must be at least 200 words. How did your character get to Canidale? Have they lived here all along? Or did they come from another town? What were they like growing up? Feel free to have fun, but just make sure that it makes sense with the history of Canidale!)

Group History: (Keep track of what your dog has been up to in the group here)

Other: (Anything else you’d like to let others know about your character? Such as birthdate, family members, fun facts, voice claim, or sexuality.)

Each character is required to have this form directly in the image description on DeviantArt as of December 2024. Please do not change the application form or the order of the points. Any additional character information should be in the "Other" section. You are free to keep a separate application that can be customized however you want, in addition to any platform you choose (Google Docs, Toyhouse, Google Sites, etc)

Below you can find a few examples of character applications filled in this manner:

Tonga | Wriothesley | Amberine | Kalli

•  All characters must be original. Fan-based characters are not allowed, so no “Balto the Wolfdog” or “Lady the Cocker Spaniel” running around! You may find inspiration from books, TV shows, and movies, but ensure your character is distinct in its own right, and not easily pegged as a copy, fan-child, etc. 

• Your character may not have the same name as another character. To reserve a name, you must follow the requirements found in the Tech Dog Den channel on Discord under "Name Reservations." Only members with an active character may reserve.

• Continuing on names, you are allowed to give your character a sillier name, for instance, "Worcestershire Sauce," but we draw the line at slurs, sexual innuendos, curse words, and references to real-life controversial people and politicians.

• In the world of Canidale, spaying/neutering is MUCH less common than it is in real life. You do not have to have your character spayed or neutered unless you want to! Likewise, breeding rates are lower because these characters have been equipped with human emotions and minds. 

• If you decide to create a puppy in either the Junkyard or Stray factions, they will need an adult dog caretaker/guardian! Farmstead and Pet puppies have a human caretaker.

• Only existing dog breeds or mixes are allowed in Dogs of Canidale. This means that DA or artist-created breeds cannot be used within this group. 

• Kennel-registered wolf mixes (Czech Vlciak, Saarloos Wolfdog, etc.) and non-registered wolf/coyote mixes with up to 50% wild animal content are allowed. We expect players who choose to create a wolfdog or coydog to research the specific needs and behaviors of these animals compared to typical dog breeds.

• Try to be realistic about your dog's breed, regardless of their faction. For example, it is unusual for an expensive purebred dog (Irish Wolfhound, Samoyed, Pharaoh Hound, etc.) to be a Stray or Junkyard dog because these dogs would likely be with a human who carefully researched the breed they wanted. A Farmstead dog is commonly a scent hound, shepherd, gun dog, or sometimes terrier, while being a toy dog would be rare. Pets can be any breed or mix, but consider their breed when choosing their job. A mutt can't be a conformation show dog, for example! If you are going an uncommon route for the dog breed, ensure that it is clear in their backstory how they came to be in their current situation.

The characters age in real-time, so if a year passes, your character becomes a year older.

All puppies (0-6 months) require a caretaker, be it a human, NPC, or another player's adult character.

* Some XL dogs may reach the 40-inch mark if they can show breeds and explain why they are giant, such as a Gigantism mutation or purpose-bred. Be advised that dogs born larger than they should naturally be are more prone to joint and heart issues. No canine can exceed 45 inches.

•  While Canidale is an 18+ group, there are certain mature subjects we will never accept, such as sexual NSFW, pedophilia, incest, and more. We also have a list of allowed mature subjects, including death, crime groups, mental health struggles, and more. Please READ THE CONTENT RULES for a comprehensive list of allowed and banned subjects.

• Don't create one-dimensional characters that have only positive or negative traits. A well-rounded character should have a mix of qualities and flaws. Traits generally considered positive may also have negative connotations, and vice versa. Ensure your character’s personality is well-developed and nuanced! 

• Along with a balanced personality, try to give them a well-rounded history. A character's past shouldn’t need to be entirely tragic to be interesting. Of course, they can face hardships or have a difficult upbringing, but don’t make your character experience such events if they do not influence your character's worldview. 

• Conduct proper research or draw from personal experiences and reputable sources when it comes to disabilities, mental illnesses, and neurodivergence. We will not tolerate offensive stereotypes for such characters.

• Refrain from using AI to write the backstory and personality. We do not allow AI (ChatGPT, Grammarly, etc.) as stated in our Rules. If you need help writing or struggle with English, please ask for help on our Discord server. 

• Try not to go for too many of the same breed as other people. If you notice there are already 3 or 4 of the same breed in the group, consider using a different breed. This is not a hard rule, but something we encourage. We know Belgian shepherds and Border collies are popular, but there are hundreds of breeds and mixes to choose from, and we hope to create a large and diverse population of dogs! 

• If you plan on creating multiple characters, consider having them belong to different size brackets (small, medium, large, x-large) to keep the group diverse and interesting. We know large/x-large dog breeds are the most popular, but there are plenty of great qualities to smaller breeds as well! 

• Get your character involved with the community. Even if they are somewhat antisocial, they should still be able to interact and bond with a few characters around them. This group is meant to foster character relationships through RPing and collaborations, so if you keep to yourself, you aren’t taking advantage of all the group has to offer. 

• All characters must be somewhat realistic in terms of design, build, disabilities, and capabilities of the chosen breed. We do allow some leeway with designs, but unnatural neon fur/skin colors, as well as superpowers, are not accepted.

•  Unnatural eye colors, such as purple or magenta eyes, are acceptable! Just don't make them too saturated or glow-in-the-dark. Pupil shapes must be round, so no hearts, diamonds, X's, or any other shapes.

•  You are encouraged to interpret realistic markings to be simpler than they are in a photograph and be more akin to an animated character design. 

• Any fur/skin mutations (Somatic, Vitiligo, Albinism, Leucism, etc.) are allowed as long as they can occur in dogs in real life. Do your research on how certain mutations would affect appearances and health!

• Cropped ears, docked tails, missing limbs, missing eyes, etc., are allowed, but there must be context in your character’s history to explain this. These physical differences usually require surgery or human intervention—unless they were born missing a body part, of course!

• If you decide to have your character's ears cropped or tail docked, please keep in mind that this is a cosmetic alteration (aside from tail docking due to medical reasons). These practices are banned in many countries, and we highly recommend reading this article detailing the harmful side effects of these practices: Tail Docking and Ear Cropping: What you should know 

• Dog hairdos (such as Disney’s Rita, Georgette, Dixie, etc.) are allowed as long as your character's dog breed(s) have a long coat or are known to grow noticeably long head fur. We likely wouldn’t allow excessive hairdos on a breed such as a short-coated Labrador Retriever.

• Your character can start with however many accessories you want. However, if your dog is a Stray or Junkyard dog, man-made accessories, such as a collar, must be explained.

• Dyed fur is allowed, but only Pets and Farmstead dogs have access to bright colored human-made pet dyes. Strays and Junkyard dogs only have access to natural pigments, such as clay, crushed berries, and plants.

• Height and weight must be realistic for your character's breed according to its breed standard. If your character is a mutt, choose an average height and weight within the breeds you have decided to use.  List in either metric or imperial measurements!

Think you have everything ready for submitting?

Double-check your app with our checklist!

Not satisfied after your character is already in the group? You are welcome to change any part of your application whenever you want.

• If it's minor details (i.e., rephrasing the personality/backstory or redrawing the image, without actually changing the meaning or the character's design), you can do that any time, free of charge.

• If your character changes due to a life event (i.e., a new injury or personality update due to plot), you can do that free of charge, too, provided you include at least one canon work explaining how it happened and mention it in the "Group history" section.

• If you want to redo your character in a way that would not occur naturally (i.e., a complete design overhaul, aging backwards, different breeds, or a drastically different personality/backstory not from plotting), they are treated as a new character.

• If you are looking to switch factions or jobs, you must provide one canon work of this happening for story progression (i.e, a Pet running away and becoming a Stray). This then must be approved through the "Character Changes Approval" ticket via file-a-ticket.

 In the case of major overhauls, you should submit a "Character Changes Approval" ticket via ⁠file-a-ticket. We will review the changes to ensure they're still fitting into the group. If you made any progress with Notoriety or Relationships on that character, unfortunately, they are treated as an entirely new character and are reverted to rank 1 (Nobody).

If changing becomes notorious, with one doing it every other week, the staff may decline the change.

To create any additional character, you must fulfill the requirements found below and send in a ticket on Discord using the "Additional Character Approval" button to claim a slot. Be aware of the current faction slots, which you can check on our DeviantArt page. 

Character creation is open all the time to members who have at least one active character. 

To avoid situations where players could mass retire and create new characters, character submissions are limited to one new character per player per season.  This rule also includes complete overhauls of already existing characters.

New Character Criteria

#2 Character

• FREE

#3 Character

• have a character at Established level

#4 Character

• have a character at Renowned/Notorious level or two characters at Established level

#5 Character

• have two characters at Renowned/Notorious level or four characters at Established level

Rules & Guidelines

• The player must have been an active member for at least 1 full season

• Pups can only be brought in once this 90-day time limit of the pregnancy has been reached.

• This slot is dedicated only to characters which are made via the litter system - no pups which are from NPC litters, or are from a pairing that did not occur during the events of the story (as in happened in the backstory), canon or not.

Cannot be used for NPC x NPC, PC x NPC, Unknown x Unknown, PC x Unknown, etc litters. Both Parents must be active characters in the group.

• There must be proof of the pregnancy process happening in their group history.

• Litter characters can still fail the AC, be retired, deactivated, etc.

Litter slots cannot be retired by the player for 6 months. This ensures serious decisions must be made on what litter one might want to contribute to.

If a litter character is retired, you cannot bring another character for the litter slots for 1 full season.

If a litter character is being retired/deactivated, the parents have made the design, they have the right to "take" the character from the current owner and either play it themselves, make it an NPC, or find a new owner.

If the current player has designed the character, they can optionally find a new player for the character themselves, with the parents' consent.

• Parents can look for adopters for their pups in #adoption-corner channel on our Discord channel

• Litter characters follow the general Character Creation and Group Rules.

Designs should resemble the parents, or there should be given proof of a potential relative that portrays a specific trait in the design (not found in any of the parents).

• Regular character slots can optionally use a regular slot instead of a Litter slot for characters born in the group. Please note, however, that litter slots will need to be specified upon submission of the character to ensure we know which exact slot is used.

• Litter slots are not freed after the character has reached adulthood. This means if Character A is a Litter Slot Character. Since they are an adult, they are still in that Litter Slot and therefore, you can not adopt a pup  Character with that litter slot.

• Litter Characters can be submitted for pre-check once the pregnancy pieces are complete.

Criteria:

#1 Litter Character

•  Active with at least 1 character in the group for at least 1 full season.

#2 Litter Character

• Unlocked by having one character at Established level and at least 2 full seasons with an active character in the group.