God of War Ragnarok - How to pet the wolves (yes, you can)

Petting the animals has become a pretty important part of gaming for many players. It’s always nice to see whether developers have included the facility to stroke your creature companions, and God of War Ragnarok is no different.

God of War Ragnarok has a multitude of different pets and animals, who assist Kratos and Atreus on their adventure. For all of the violent bloodshed throughout the game, petting the animals can provide a brief moment of peace and tranquillity. We’ve got everything you need to know below, confirming who can be petted and the criteria required to do it.

Here’s how to pet the wolves in God of War Ragnarok. Beware, one of these is a SPOILER of an animal in the latter part of the game. Proceed at your own risk.

Can you pet the wolves in God of War Ragnarok?

There are quite a few different canine companions in God of War Ragnarok, and you can indeed pet several of them.

When you have fulfilled certain requirements, Kratos will be able to pet Speki and Svanna. Later in the game, Kratos will also be able to pet Fenrir.

Though some other animals will be encountered, these are the only ones who can actually be petted.

How to pet Speki and Svanna in God of War Ragnarok

To pet Speki and Svanna, you must complete the Animal Instincts Favor. This is a quest in Midgard that involves clearing out 4 Kol Raider Camps around the Lake of Nine. It is unlocked at any point after “the World of Fate” main quest and you are able to explore the Lake of Nine with Kratos.

The wolves will be uneasy at the presence of the Kol Raiders in Midgard, due to the fact they were previously held captive by the Kol Raiders. Speki and Svann were actually rescued and taken in by Kratos and Atreus at some point between the events of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok. Kratos initially starts with little sympathy, and disappoints his companions with his lack of empathy.

However, once you complete the Animal Insticts quest Kratos will have a change of heart and pet the wolves. Not only will you get the heartwarming sight of Kratos showing some affection for his wolves, but you’ll also earn the Besties trophy.

NOTE: You cannot pet Speki and Svanna at your discretion, it will simply be a one-off scene where Kratos will pet the wolves.

How to complete the Animal Instincts Favor

To commence the quest, approach one of the Raider camps and it will trigger some dialogue between Kratos and his companions regarding Speki and Svanna. Then you’ll be tasked with eliminating the enemies in each one.

The four Raider Camp locations are marked on the map above. You can also see the descriptions below to clarify the exact locations within the Lake of Nine.

Raider Fort – Just to the south-west of the Like of Nine Mystic Gateway (north-west past of the map). There is a ledge to climb up towards the smoky fire.
Raider Keep – This one is South of Tyr’s Temple, found by going through the narrow pathway and grappling up to the entrance.

Raider Stronghold – This is actually underneath Tyr’s Temple. Head to the eastern part of the temple and you will see an entrance that takes you under cover. This will be found on the northern side of the temple.
Raider Hideout – Head to the far east part of the Lake of Nine towards the King’s Grave. Before you get there, take a left and it will circle around to the Raider Hideout.

There’s no particular secret to clearing out these camps. The raiders are a mixed bag of different enemy types so take them out to tick each camp off the list. It doesn’t matter which order you clear them in, but when everyone is defeated in the final one you will be confronted by Olaf Nautson, the leader of the Kol Raiders.

He’s a bit tougher, but nothing to fear in the grand scheme of things. When you return to Speki and Svanna, the Favor will be complete. Along with the cut-scene and trophy, there’s also the reward of 1000 EXP, Token of Elemental Evasion and the Crackle of Bilskirnir.

How to pet Fenrir in God of War Ragnarok

You can only pet Fenrir after you have completed the main quest of God of War Ragnarok.

Once you have beaten the main story, travel to Sindri’s House where you will be gifted a pouch of Yggdrasil Seeds by Ratatoskr. One of these seeds will unlock the Mystic Gateway in Jotunheim, allowing Kratos to visit the Giant Realm for the first time.

Once you have got the pouch of Yggdrasil Seeds, open any Mystic Gateway and select Jotunheim
Hover over the only Mystic Gateway in Jotunheim (Angrboda’s Treehouse) and hold X to unlock it

Fast travel to Angrboda’s Treehouse as normal, and you’ll find Fenrir nearby
Approach Fenrir and you’ll be prompted to interact with him
Kratos will then pet Fenrir and tell him he’s a good boy

You can pet Fenrir multiple times, but it will only work once per visit to Jotunheim. If you wish to pet Fenrir again, you will need to leave Jotunheim and return via a Mystic Gateway.

There’s some further dialogue to take in and some items to interact with in Jotunheim, but not much else except a flower for the Nine Realms in Bloom Favor. Nonetheless, petting Fenrir is ample reason to visit.

Can you pet Skoll and Hati?

If you wish to also pet the legendary wolves that chase down the sun and moon in Vanaheim, you’re out of luck.

Unfortunately, there is no way to pet Skoll and Hati in God of War Ragnarok, though you can visit their den by backtracking to Vanaheim. Maybe next time.

That’s all you need to know about how to pet the wolves in God of War Ragnarok. It’s great when games allow you to pet the animals, so seeing Kratos show affection for his canine pals is sure to put a smile on your face. Check out some of our other God of War Ragnarok content below: