Nintendogs/Pet care

Hunger
Food that you give your dog decreases the dogs hunger level. For example, a "famished" dog needs food immediately, while a "full" dog will refuse to eat more. A hungry dog tends to look for trash to eat instead of presents on walks. If a dog is left hungry for too long, it will run away. It will eventually come back. A hungry dog may not be entered into a competition.

Food items upgrade with trainer points, but do not disappear once found at the store. For example, once enough trainer points are gathered, you can buy "canned food" for your dog instead of dry food.

Thirst
Any drink you give your dog will decrease its thirst level. The highest thirst level is parched, while the lowest is quenched. Like food, if a dog doesn't have enough water or other drinks, it will run away. A thirsty dog may not be entered in a contest.

Drinks for your dog also upgrade with trainer points. The first level is water, then it goes to milk, and so on.

Cleanliness
Cleaning your dog with shampoo or brushing its fur raises the dog’s cleanliness. After a while, the level will lower, and the dog will appear to have dirt and fleas (black dots jumping on and off the dog). The highest level of cleanliness is beautiful, while the lowest is filthy. Beautiful can only be obtained by using the shampoo for the right length of hair of your dog (this can be found on the dog's stats).

Brushes can achieve up to "clean" hair. However, to obtain the clean rank, the right brush must be used (wire for long hair, and rubber for short hair). A filthy or dirty dog will have points subtracted from their score in an obedience trial, while a clean or beautiful dog will be rewarded with extra points.