What is the Dog Collar?
The Dog Collar is classified as a Rare item in Arc Raiders. Its primary use is for training Scrappy, which is your in-game companion that can help in combat and scavenging. While the Dog Collar itself doesn’t directly affect your combat stats, it’s a key component for upgrading Scrappy’s abilities.
In addition, the Dog Collar can be recycled into crafting materials, making it valuable even if you already have Scrappy trained. Recycling a single Dog Collar gives you 8 Fabric and 1 Metal Parts, while salvaging yields 5 Fabric. This is useful if you’re running low on crafting materials for other workshop upgrades.
Where Can You Find the Dog Collar in Dam Battlegrounds?
In Dam Battlegrounds, the Dog Collar is generally found in Residential areas. These are small clusters of buildings spread across the map. Players often miss them because they expect rare items to spawn in more exposed or obvious locations. In practice, you need to:
- Check multiple residential clusters—don’t assume every residential building has one. They spawn randomly.
- Look inside storage units and small interior rooms—Scrappy can alert you to loot spots, but human players often scan thoroughly.
- Scavenge efficiently—use mobility skills to move from building to building. Dog Collars are heavy enough to limit how much else you can carry, so plan your route.
The key takeaway is that patience and systematic looting work better than rushing. You’re more likely to find the Dog Collar by methodically clearing residential areas.
How Does the Dog Collar Work in Practice?
Once you have a Dog Collar, you can use it in the Workshop to upgrade Scrappy from Scrappy I to Scrappy II. In gameplay, this translates to:
- Improved companion behavior: Scrappy becomes better at gathering resources and dealing damage.
- Increased survival support: Upgraded Scrappy can distract enemies and occasionally provide buffs during battles.
From experience, many players hoard Dog Collars to perform multiple upgrades at once. The upgrade itself is straightforward—bring the Dog Collar to the workshop, apply it to Scrappy, and the upgrade is instant.
An important note is that Dog Collars also serve as tradeable or recyclable resources, so if you find one but aren’t ready to upgrade Scrappy, it’s still valuable. For example, some players prefer to recycle Dog Collars for crafting materials early in the game and later save them for Scrappy upgrades when resources are scarce.
Should I Recycle or Save the Dog Collar?
In practice, your choice depends on your current needs:
- Recycle if you need Fabric and Metal Parts for other workshop upgrades. The numbers are solid: recycling gives 8 Fabric and 1 Metal Parts.
- Salvage if you need a smaller amount of Fabric but want to conserve the other materials.
- Save if Scrappy is a priority. Upgrading him early can make later scavenging runs more efficient.
If you’re new to Dam Battlegrounds, I often recommend recycling at least one Dog Collar to get crafting started, while saving another for Scrappy. This balances both short-term and long-term utility.
Common Player Behavior Around Dog Collars
Observing high-level players, some practical behaviors are:
- Residential focus: Even though Dam has multiple points of interest, most players prioritize residential zones for Dog Collars. Skipping these areas significantly reduces your chances.
- Quick looting: Players who spend too long inside one building often lose time and get outpaced by the match timer. Keep moving systematically.
- Scrappy-centric strategies: Experienced players tend to stockpile Dog Collars to rapidly upgrade Scrappy early. This gives a consistent advantage in both resource gathering and combat support.
- Trading or selling: Because the Dog Collar has a sell price of 640 coins, some players pick it up just for in-game currency if they already have Scrappy maxed out.
Additionally, if you’re looking to enhance your combat toolkit, knowing where Dog Collars are and using them effectively allows you to focus on other valuable items. For instance, after securing your Dog Collar, you might prioritize areas to buy Equalizer blueprint to strengthen your offensive capabilities in subsequent rounds.
Practical Tips for Dam Battlegrounds
Here are some actionable tips for finding Dog Collars efficiently:
- Memorize residential clusters: Certain clusters spawn items more consistently. Mark them mentally or on your map.
- Scan every lootable container: Rare items often hide in small crates or cupboards.
- Use Scrappy to your advantage: If he’s already trained, he can point out nearby loot, reducing time spent searching.
- Avoid over-carrying: Since Dog Collars weigh 0.8 units and stack up to 3, plan your inventory for maximum efficiency.
- Combine objectives: While scavenging for Dog Collars, also collect materials for recycling and upgrading other gear.
In practice, following a route through residential zones and combining looting with combat objectives usually results in the fastest Dog Collar acquisition.
The Dog Collar in Dam Battlegrounds is a rare but versatile item. Its main use is upgrading Scrappy, but it also has value in recycling for crafting materials or selling for coins. The key points to remember are:
- Found primarily in residential areas.
- Used to upgrade Scrappy I → Scrappy II in the workshop.
- Can be recycled into Fabric and Metal Parts, or salvaged for Fabric.
- Player behavior favors systematic looting of residential clusters, quick acquisition, and strategic use for upgrades.
- Planning around inventory weight and combining objectives can make Dog Collar runs efficient.
By approaching Dog Collar collection methodically, you’ll save time and resources while maximizing the benefits of your Scrappy companion.
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