I’ll be honest—when I heard OSRS was adding a quest that lets you adopt a puppy, I was already loading up the game before the patch notes finished downloading. A Ruff Situation isn’t a long quest, but it has a few moments that can trip you up if you’re not prepared. Here’s the exact route I took, from meeting Talia and Chase near Varrock’s west entrance to walking away with my new Spaniel pup.
Quick Answer
Start the quest by speaking to Talia and Chase near Varrock’s west entrance. From there:
- Head to Gertrude’s house to learn about the missing dogs.
- Find the stray dog at Varrock’s west entrance and interact with it.
- Follow the dog to its house—three dogs are missing.
- Track the dogs; one area requires a Brass Key to enter.
- Defeat three wolves to rescue the puppies.
- Return to Talia and Chase.
- Adopt your puppy for 200 coins.
Available breeds: Labrador, Spaniel, Sausage Dog, Husky.
Where I Started the Quest
The quest kicks off near the west entrance of Varrock. I found Talia and Chase standing close to the gate, and talking to them triggered the opening dialogue. Nothing complicated here—just a quick conversation to get the ball rolling.
After the intro, I made my way to Gertrude’s house. She’s the one who fills you in on the missing dogs. This part is mostly exposition, but it sets up the actual search that follows.
Note: If you’re planning to race for a world-first completion, every tick matters. I’d recommend mapping your teleport routes before you even talk to Talia.
Tracking Down the Missing Dogs
Once I left Gertrude’s place, I went back to the west entrance of Varrock to find the stray dog. Interacting with it made it start following me—simple enough.
The dog led me to its house, and that’s where things got real. Three dogs were missing, and I had to track them down one by one. The search involves sniffing them out, which sounds straightforward, but there’s a catch: other players might be competing to finish the quest first. If you’re on a busy world, expect some congestion around the key locations.
The first two dogs weren’t too bad to locate. The third one, though, ran into an area that required a Brass Key to enter. I didn’t have one on me at the time, which cost me a trip to grab it.
Warning: Bring a Brass Key in your inventory before starting the quest. It’s required to progress, and you don’t want to waste time backtracking like I did.
Fighting the Wolves
Once I got through the gate with the Brass Key, I caught up to the missing dog. That’s when three wolves showed up. Combat isn’t the focus of this quest, but you’ll need to be ready for a fight.
I brought a decent weapon and some food, and it was enough. The wolves aren’t boss-level tough, but they’ll punish you if you’re under-geared. If you’re a lower-level account, I’d suggest bringing extra food just to be safe.
After the wolves went down, a cutscene played. It’s short, but it wraps up the rescue nicely.
Adopting My Puppy
With the quest complete, I headed back to Talia and Chase to finish things up. That’s when the real decision came: which puppy to adopt.
| Breed | Notes |
|---|---|
| Labrador | Classic choice, solid all-around |
| Spaniel | What I picked—good energy |
| Sausage Dog | Long boy, very good |
| Husky | Fluffy, high maintenance energy |
The adoption costs 200 coins. If you’re short on cash, I alched a Ring of Jeweling from my inventory for quick coins—it sold for around 10k, which covered the fee and then some.
Once adopted, the puppy follows you around like a pet cat. It’ll need care over time, and I’ve heard rumors that blood runes might be involved down the line, but for now, it’s just nice having a companion that isn’t trying to catch mice.
What I’d Do Differently Next Time
If I were running this quest again on a fresh account, here’s what I’d change:
- Bring a Brass Key from the start—saves a full backtrack.
- Carry a Skills Necklace for quick teleports between locations. I used one on my second run and cut the time significantly.
- Pack combat supplies before talking to Talia. The wolf fight comes faster than you expect.
- Have 200 coins ready if you want to adopt immediately after the quest.
The quest itself is maybe 15–20 minutes if you know what you’re doing. With the right prep, you can shave that down even further.