@CanYouPetTheDog has more than 250,000 followers, including game developers, but most are just digital dog enthusiasts

Can You Pet the Dog? The purity of petting pixelated puppies

Games often feature dogs but player interaction is generally limited to violent, negative verbs – attack, shoot, kill. Now one wildly popular Twitter account is dedicated to championing the games that allow us to interact positively with our pixelated pals.

@CanYouPetTheDog is a journal of record initially inspired by the virtual strays of Ubisoft’s military shooter game, The Division 2, and covers everything from unlikely candidates such as Super Smash Brothers Ultimate to the aptly named Dog Petting Simulator (video above).

“I was frustrated that [The Division 2] purposely put dogs in a poor situation, meant to evoke empathy from the player, but there was no way to comfort or care for these hungry, frightened creatures,” explains the account’s anonymous creator via email.

“I saw many others lamenting the lack of dog petting, and thought there might be interest in a hyperspecific catalogue.”

Can You Pet the Dog? (@CanYouPetTheDog) You cannot pet the dog in The Division 2 pic.twitter.com/p0GGXWpDpY

Interest is putting it mildly. At time of writing, the account has more than 250,000 followers – many of them game developers and other influential members of the industry, but the vast majority simple digital dog enthusiasts.

“On a base level, it feels nice to pet a real-life dog, so a digital approximation will almost always hold appeal,” says the creator, who posits the “purity and innate goodness” of petting as a major draw alongside more personal reasons such as nostalgia.

“Petting a dog in a video game rarely yields tangible rewards, like loot or experience,” they explain. “It is a simple, typically brief interaction that exists almost entirely because it is pleasant.

“In an industry where living, never-ending games increasingly demand more and more of the player’s time, energy and focus, petting a dog can feel like a pressure release.”

Can You Pet the Dog? (@CanYouPetTheDog) This was one of the games that inspired me to create this account, so it goes without saying: You can pet the dog in Far Cry: New Dawn pic.twitter.com/pf0DGpqgrS

Though the account is a simple catalogue of games that let players pat dogs, its popularity is such that its creator is careful about the games that they feature.

“I grew worried that the account’s apparent influence might put pressure on small development teams,” the creator says. Many indie games like Afterparty or Crosscode have, since the account’s creation, begun adding updates specifically to add dog-petting.

“My worst nightmare would be a harassment campaign springing forth as a result of one of my posts.”

The account is also notable for its support of a variety of social issues aside from the goodness of dogs, among them trans rights and game development unionisation.

“I felt apprehensive about having a somewhat large platform and neglecting to use it to support worthy causes,” the creator says. “If the account’s modicum of influence can be used for even the smallest good, I see no reason why I should not try to help those in need any way I can.”

Can You Pet the Dog? (@CanYouPetTheDog) Thank you for helping CYPTD reach 200k followers. Please consider supporting @GameWorkers, which fights for industry unionization. The people who make your favorite games (and favorite pettable dogs) deserve fair treatment and better working conditions.https://t.co/FCdtEJVhMo pic.twitter.com/KTwkafKokS

Still, it’s most likely the account’s own purity of purpose that draws fans, though recent forays into “casual Fridays” involving other dog-related interactions such as hugging, shaking paws, or being revived from death by dogs has also won approval.

“I’ve seen replies that state something like ‘hugging a dog is just petting it with your whole body’,” the creator says, “though I think petting the dog owes its charm to its simplicity and specificity.”

Asked for a specific dog-positive interaction to highlight, the creator nominated the 1981 classic Zork II, the earliest recorded game in which you can pat the dog, in this case a three-headed Cerberus who reacts with “doggish joy”.

“This 38-year-old text adventure proves that as long as video games existed, people have wanted to pet the dog,” they say. “Can you blame them?”

* The video attached to this article incorrectly stated that there were plans to continue updating Dog Petting Simulator and has since been updated.