Dogs were domesticated animals noted for their keen sense of smell[1] and their barking vocalizations.[5] They were often kept as pets by Humans[3] and other species, such as Talz[4]. A similar, more wild canid, was a wolf.[source?]
In their youth, both Luke Skywalker[3] and Lando Calrissian owned dogs, though Lando's was run over by a hovercraft. The memory would haunt Calrissian for years to come.[6] Likewise, Luke would reflect upon his pet as he left the Tatoo system for the first time on the Millennium Falcon.[3]Ken sometimes wished he had a pet dog or cat instead of a pet mooka.[5] The K-9 series companion droids were designed to imitate a dog in both appearance and behavior.[7]
An akk dog
Several other creatures, such as the akk dog and the Cyborrean battle dog, may have been related to dogs, or named for dogs due to similar behavior and habits.
Though most mentions of dogs referred to non-sentient domestic animals, at least one sentient being existed who was only identified as a "dog." This being was an associate of the mercenarybunnyMax.[2]
As with most Earth animals featured in the Star Warscanon, the status and origins of the dog remain a mystery. Quite a few organisms in the Star Wars galaxy have obvious real-world analogues that share the same name, such as ducks; rabbits; horses; chickens; frogs; cats; and, of course, Humans. Dog-related words such as hound,[12] cur,[13] pup,[14] or puppy[15][16] are used figuratively in some sources. These may be further examples of the place of dogs in the culture of the Star Wars galaxy.