At about level 15-18 I found one of them stray dogs, just randomly, as we all have. At first, it was good having someone to soak up the hits (I was running an unarmored char), as well as deal a few here and there. I literally had this stray dog for dozens of levels, and despite the incessant and downright annoying barking, he still became apart of the character I was running at the time. It was no longer an unarmoured swordsman with a dog for a companion, it was the unarmoured swordsmen and his faithful hound. Obviously we all know where this goes. By the time I was in the 40s he was all but useless. i actually spent most of the time using healing hands on his sorry ass. I didn't need too. He wasn't a pivotal gameplay point to the character. But I still felt obliged too. Skyrim, this man made, virtual construct with no real world impact had made me care for this pixelated furball, who, was still aptly named "Stray Dog". Let me tell you right now, when I was in bonechill pass, being demolished by a frost troll it was he, the stray dog, the faithful hound who jumped to the rescue, soaking up 2 colossal thumps from the troll, giving me time to get the final hit, and slay the beast. But 2 hits was all it took to end a 25ish level companionship. I sat, for a good 3 minutes staring at the body. I was dumbstruck. I had forgotton what it was like before I had the stray dog. Eventually I left the cave and walked for a bit, noting the silence. No barking. Silence. And I shed 1 manly (I swear it was manly) tear.
I would've named him Walter.