Getting Started

We'll start with the most important aspect of the group overall: our rules and guidelines. While this may not be fun to talk about for some, it is important to reinforce our rules and keep you informed about our expectations.

We understand that reading a list of terms and regulations can feel tiresome and repetitive. However, they exist so that we can provide a safe and fair environment for our members and also keep everyone's work safe.

We highly encourage everyone to read our rules carefully and either revisit our website or contact our Staff if you have any questions.

Learn more about our Terms & Guidelines below:

• General rules and activity requirements

• Art and Writing requirements

Canidale is a quaint seaside city located in a valley along the West Coast of Oregon, in the United States of America. Residents can enjoy the view of the Pacific Ocean from Canidale’s beach or go on beautiful hikes in the mountains. There are plenty of mixed forests inland and endless fields of farmland. Life here is peaceful and rural. One peculiar fact about Canidale is that there is no shortage of dogs alongside the human population. At the beginning, dogs of all factions lived contently alongside one another. However, their peace wouldn’t last forever.

To learn more about Canidale and its history check out:

• Recap of the History of Canidale

• Weather and climate

Every dog in Canidale is in one of four factions! Pets are those that live in houses with their humans, whether they are companions or service dogs. Farmsteaders are the backbone of Canidale! They take on various jobs on their farmland, from herding livestock to protecting their property. Junkyard dogs are a pack of dogs living together to sustain themselves in the city’s junkyard. Lastly, strays belong to no one and usually rely on their wits and survival instincts to live.

• The affiliation to a certain faction depends more on your character’s lifestyle than the location they live in. For example, a house pet with a typical companion lifestyle in a farmhouse would still be a member of the Pets faction.

• Everyone in Canidale shares the same space, so even if you choose one faction, nothing stops you from interacting and making friends across all four! 

Learn more about factions here:

• Pet

• Farmstead

• Junkyard

• Stray

For your written application, we have a form that you MUST include in the DeviantArt image description. Do not alter the form in any way, and do not add extra points. You are free to keep a separate application that can be customized however you want, in addition to any platform of your choice (Google Docs, Toyhouse, Google Sites, etc.)

To learn more about creating your application, check out:

• • Written application template

  • Visual application template

Onto designing! You must ensure the design you use for Canidale is somewhat realistic. We are not strict on genetics, but please keep designs reasonable. You can make them as complex or as stylized as you would like! Also, keep in mind the breed standards for purebreds. For example, a Golden Retriever would not have merle fur unless mixed with a breed that comes in merle. (Australian Shepherd, Beauceron, etc.) Canidale also does not accept fictional/made-up dog breeds.

Feel free to add any scars, mutations, or physical disabilities; however, be respectful and do not offensively portray them. With human intervention involved, cropped ears, docked tails, and amputated limbs are welcome! Dogs with “hairstyles” are allowed, too, for breeds that can grow long enough fur. (Afghan Hound, Poodle, etc.) 

You can read more helpful information in the link below!

• Design Guidelines

Now, you can think about accessories for your character! Try to make them reasonable. For example, a Pet would likely have a collar with identification. A stray or Junkyard dog would likely have natural items, such as a flower or a leaf. (or none at all)

We also have what’s known as the Labradoir store! It is an accessory shop where players and admins donate unique accessories and purchase them for Meme Points! (Currency earned by completing memes) 

Some additional tips:

• Ensure that your accessory aligns with your character’s faction and job. (e.g. A dog in Police work would likely wear a K9/Police collar.)

• If you are going to give a Stray or Junkyard dog a fresh new accessory, please explain how they got it. 

• If you are giving your character a collar that could cause them pain (Shock collar, prong collar, etc.) there must be a valid explanation for why the character is wearing it. (Be mindful of handling abusive backstories with respect.)

• Since Canidale is a semi-realistic ARPG, both tattoos and piercings are considered to be clear signs of animal abuse. If you consider any of those, use them wisely. 

You can read more helpful information in the link below!

• Creating Accessories

This is where a character truly stands out— Their personality and backstory, which almost always go hand in hand. We have a minimum word count for personality descriptions and backstories, but do not be too intimidated! As long as you flesh your character out, you will reach the minimum in no time.

Some useful tips to keep in mind:

• Your backstory should have a beginning, middle, and end and contain little to no grammatical and spelling issues.

• Consider your character’s motivations and notable events to increase the word count. How did they get to Canidale? Do they live with humans and other dogs, or do they rely on themselves? What events shaped their personality? Do they like their job? Why or why not?

• Use content warnings when including darker and triggering topics. (Death, abuse, etc.)

• If you decide to go with a darker theme for your backstory, make sure you avoid going overboard with the tragedies.

• Keep the personality traits balanced and well-rounded; do not add 10 positive traits and only 2 negative ones. Try to make them roughly equal.

• Ensure the personality is not too contradictory! For example, a pacifist would not pick fights or act aggressively.

• Personality and backstory should be correlated. A character who experiences very traumatic events, such as abuse or dog fighting, may be more withdrawn, skittish, or even highly reactive. 

You can read more helpful information in the link below!

• Creating the Character

All set? Once the opening has arrived, upload your visual application to DeviantArt/Sta.sh and submit it to the Google form which will be linked on the Front Page (dA), Current Opening Journal (dA), or #announcements channel (Discord)!

Do not send membership/join requests on DeviantArt! We will reach out with an invite if you are accepted.

• Application reviewing during opening periods might take up to two weeks.

• Do NOT edit the applications after your opening slot closes. 

• Every submission will receive a reply, whether accepted or not. The staff will always provide a reason when an application is turned down.

• If you’re accepted and asked to send in the application (with or without revisions), you have a month max to do it before we revoke the invite.

WHAT CAN GET MY APP TURNED DOWN?

• Missing points from the written application form

• No written application form in the DA image description

• Insufficient word count for personality and backstory descriptions

• Inconsiderate approach to sensitive topics

• Using AI (e.g, ChatGPT) for your written application or application art

• Any violation of general rules or character guidelines

• Any issue that would require adding/rewriting more than one paragraph

• Concerning behaviour on the server

MY APP GOT TURNED DOWN. WHAT DO I DO?

We apologize if you are turned down. You will have future opportunities to join as long as you have not broken our rules! You can revise your application for the next opening or whenever we open invite vouchers again, which requires an invite from a friend.