Death Hounds are the guard dogs of Skyrim’s vampires: undead canines introduced with the Dawnguard DLC. The Dawnguard loading screens admit nobody knows where they came from, only that their bite carries the chill of the grave. If you are hunting vampires with the Dawnguard, or working for the Volkihar side, you will meet a lot of them.
They look like oversized, heavily muscled dogs whose black, hairless hide is rotting away in places, exposing dark muscle underneath. The decay is worst on the face: the nose is just an open cavity, there are no lips, and the mouth holds far more jagged teeth than any normal canine. Red, glowing eyes and a heavy iron collar complete the look.
Named Death Hounds
- CuSith
- Garmr
Where to find them
The source does not tie Death Hounds to specific dungeons; they turn up wherever vampires keep pets and guards, so expect them in vampire lairs alongside their masters, much like the Vampire Lords they serve. They respawn, so a cleared lair may have new hounds on a later visit.
Owning a Death Hound
A Dragonborn who is a vampire and at least level 5 can own a Death Hound of their own. This is a nice perk for anyone who chose the Volkihar path, since a regular dog is a little out of place in a vampire castle.
Notes
- Each Death Hound you kill counts towards strengthening the enchantment on the Dawnguard Rune Axe.
- As with vampires, a werewolf cannot feed on their corpses, and the Savage Feeding perk does not change that.
- They neither bark nor move their jaws like ordinary dogs, though the Voice of the Sky still affects them the way it affects dogs.
- Their level is capped at 5, whereas huskies cap out at 25.
- Older fans may spot a resemblance to the Hell Hounds of Arena, with the same dark body and red eyes – but those were creatures of fire, not frost.
