A present is a gift box that can mostly be found on walks in the Nintendogs series. They appear as a box with white wrapping and red ribbon (or blue if found by a kitten/in Bark Mode), tied with a bow. Presents can contain items that cannot be found anywhere else in the game, which can depend on the rarity.
While they can mostly be found on walks, they can also be found in other circumstances, such as the Pedometer or Cat Present.
In Nintendogs[]
Presents can be found on walks, sometimes via going to places with "?" on them. The box can contain anything which is not version-exclusive to another game, and is commonly filled with items like the Bubble Blower, Juice Bottle, or Yellow Flying Disc. Those items cannot really be found anywhere else, and some of them, such as the Promise Ring, can be sold for a phenomenal price at the Secondhand Shop.
However, presents can sometimes be found in unusual places while the player's dog goes for a walk around the area. These secret presents can be detected when the dog icon stops moving on the top screen, though there is a chance that Trash will appear in the dog's way instead. With correct timing, the dog will be able to get the present, and it may contain an uncommon item.
When the player leaves the game on unattended, their dogs will sometimes leave the house. This does not mean the dog has run away-- it will come back with a present once the player has resumed the game. However, items received from the dog in this way are not typically rare.
Players can also get presents via Bark Mode, depending on if the other player has chosen to give out a present or not.
In Nintendogs + Cats[]
The Present has the same role in the 3DS version, being found on the street during a walk, similar to the "rare presents" found in the original. Presents are also received after steps are taken during a Pedometer walk. The player can also weave through traffic cones on a walk to have a present magically appear at the end of the cones, or on rare occasion, a present may be found in a patch of grass if the player leads their dog to the patch. When a present is spotted in the grass, the dog will either bark twice or dig at the grass while looking left and right. A greater abundance of presents would be found in the rare Secret Paths. They have a much higher chance to be found on the path and in the grass.
Below is a table containing information on present item spawn locations and rarities. [1]
Blue bow presents[]
In special events in the 3DS versions, the bow is blue instead of red. A DLC or StreetPass neighbor may, every once in a while, give the player a present with a blue bow when met on a walk. When kittens give presents to their owners, the bow is blue.
Trivia[]
- The present boxes resemble the ones found in the Earthbound/MOTHER series, and may have been one of the main representations for the series.
- When the dog grabs a present from an unmarked spot on the map in Nintendogs, they will grab it with their teeth by the bow rather than from the bottom.
- If your dog runs away, it will come back with a present. Whatever is inside the present will contain something extremely common like a Disposable Camera, or something rare, like a Promise Ring.