Can you train/call a Blink Dog? If so, how?

Question

In my game, I'm an elvish druid who was gifted a Blink Dog familiar, and I am trying to find the familiar's owner (a wizard). The dog follows me around, but out of my sight. I have attempted to call it the way my master has (using its favorite toy), but it has yet to try and collect it like it had before.

How else should I call upon this creature? Is it possible to begin to train it to follow my lead instead of its original owner?

Related on What are the rules for owning and training animals? — NotArch, Feb 19 '20 at 01:02
And welcome to the stack! Please take our [tour] to learn more about how we operate and you can get more in the [help]. — NotArch, Feb 19 '20 at 01:05
What do your mean by "call it the way my master has?" Do you mean it's master? — NotArch, Feb 19 '20 at 13:43
How was this familiar "gifted"? What happened to the wizard? Is it their familiar, but not really now because it was gifted to you? Was this seen as a trained blink dog of the wizard? It seems like there are some specifics here we don't understand that make it hard to provide a table relevant answer. — NotArch, Feb 19 '20 at 15:34
Related: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/89692/does-a-natural-20-on-an-animal-handling-check-allow-a-character-to-affect-a-tame — Tim Grant, Feb 21 '20 at 17:11

score 66 · Answer 1 · edited Feb 19 '20 at 12:40

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No

A blink dog is not a dog.

A blink dog is a fey, not a beast. Furthermore, they understand Sylvan language and are as intelligent, wise and charismatic as the average humanoid, if not more.

You are approaching this from the wrong mindset: a blink dog is a person - you can befriend one, even educate one but you can't train one like it is an animal.

edited Feb 19 '20 at 12:40

Slagmoth

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answered Feb 19 '20 at 01:22

Dale M

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Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat. – V2Blast Feb 21 '20 at 04:48
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With an intelligence of 10, it can hold a job, pay rent, complain about work, etc.! – Pedro Jiménez Aug 02 '20 at 07:59

score 22 · Answer 2 · edited Aug 17 '21 at 00:56

Talk to your DM

The specifics of this situation are really going to be driven by your DM. We can't tell you what to do because this sounds like it's part of the story being told by your table. How you can interact and what the goals of the DM are with the blink dog are really up to them.

I'd recommend just to play as you would, talk to your DM, and see where the story goes.

Can fey be trained?

I don't know the answer to this as the rules don't cover this. When the rules don't cover something, it is up to the DM to determine. Ruling either way is acceptable (after all, humans are animals and we're clearly trainable) and it will come down to how the table and the DM wants to treat it.

Maybe trying to train it is part of the story your DM is telling and this is a character growth opportunity. Who knows? Your DM.

Building trust

But, either way, you need to establish trust with this fey. The blink dog may have been attracted to the toy from its master because it was it's favorite toy AND because it trusted its master.

You've only got half the equation: the toy. Now you need to work on building trust and a relationship.

It might be worth mentioning the (only?) reference to blink dog companions in the MM (p.81) on Displacer beasts: "With blink dog companions at their side, fey hunters drove these predators to ...". Not much to go with, but it implies training/companionship is possible — Someone_Evil, Feb 19 '20 at 13:36
@someone_evil that's something to consider. And combined with OP's implication that it had a previous "master". Let me consider... — NotArch, Feb 19 '20 at 13:38

speciesUnknown · Answer 3 · 2020-02-21T17:29:05.447

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Yes (but not in the way you are thinking)

A blink dog is smart - having the same intelligence, on average, as the average human. They can also understand a language (sylvan) and can speak a language known as "Blink Dog".

So if you can train a person you can train a blink dog. But they are not pets - if you want them to do stuff, you will need more than a snack or the promise of walkies - you will need to negotiate.

How do we train it?

Try talking to it as an equal rather than treating it as a doggy. Ask what it would accept as payment in return for its services.

If you need to have a proper conversation you can use magic, such as the third level divination spell Tongues.

edited Feb 21 '20 at 17:29

answered Feb 19 '20 at 14:23

speciesUnknown

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It should be noted that, in Dale M's link above, it is stated that they can understand Sylvan but not speak it. – weasel5i2 Feb 20 '20 at 19:19
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Blink Dogs can speak a language: Blink Dog. – Tim Grant Feb 21 '20 at 17:14