A dog is a man’s best friend – and Meeko can be the Dragonborn’s bestie with the right Skyrim mods.
Meeko is a tragic little doggo you’ll meet while exploring the outskirts of Hjallmarch. He’ll guide you to his former master, lying dead in a shack nearby, and appeal to your sympathy with adorable puppy eyes.
You’re not alone if you’re moved by Meeko’s loneliness but aren’t sure how much value this dog can bring to your party. Luckily, we have plenty of mods to transform Meeko into the best dog he can be.
Still, it would take a cold heart to leave Meeko alone at his shack, watching as his former owner’s corpse slowly decomposes.
Luckily, there’s someone in Skyrim looking for a loyal beast just like Meeko to keep them company: the blacksmith Lod in Falkreath. He initially asks you to catch Barbas, but with this mod, he won’t mind as long as he gets a dog.
A cute doggo like Meeko can make exploring Skyrim less lonely, but a Dragonborn’s life is fraught with danger.
Every time you get attacked by a dragon, there’s a high chance that Meeko will be devoured like a chicken nugget – and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
The Attack Dogs mod helps by training your canine companions in survival. They’ll scale up to level 80, gain perks, and generally carry their weight in battle much better.
You also won’t have to worry about Meeko activating a pressure plate due to his over-enthusiasm.
If you’d prefer to enhance Meeko alone instead of every dog in the game, Improved Meeko is the way to go.
This mod allows Meeko to discover his full potential, leveling up to 81 and acquiring several perks – mostly connected to stealth.
You’ll also notice Meeko has become more durable in battle. He has almost double the health and more than double the stamina – with stats matching vanilla Dawnguard huskies like Bran and Sceolang.
Another fantastic feature is the ability to choose whether you want Meeko to look like a Dawnguard husky, an armored husky, or to keep his traditional look.
Meeko has the potential to be a strong ally, but there are many ways he can help the Dragonborn on his travels without putting his life on the line.
Dog Backpacks lets you give your favorite doggo one of many convenient backpacks to help carry your burdens.
You can keep it simple with a Rucksack or a Barrel for +30 carry weight or equip a Harness with modular attachments for other benefits. These include a Dog Lantern, a collar, or an amulet.
Not only is it convenient, but it’s one of the only ways to customize the look of your doggo.
Unless one of your kids has taken a liking to Meeko and asked you to keep them at home, he’ll always return to his old master’s shack whenever you dismiss him.
Not only does this hurt my feelings as his new protector, but it’s extremely sad, considering the shack isn’t all that great (and the corpse stench doesn’t help).
If Meeko doesn’t come to you, maybe you should go to him.
Meeko’s Shack Reborn overhauls the run-down shack into somewhere livable. Its convenient location at the edge of Hjaalmarch makes it the perfect strategic spot to rest, resupply, and visit your dog.
You’ll still have to drag the corpse out yourself, though.
Regrettably, dog-petting gameplay was still very niche back when Skyrim first came out. If you want to pet the dogs – Meeko included – you’ll have to download this mod.
Finally, you can adequately comfort Meeko for losing his former master.
Meeko Reborn is the best way to make this good boy into the best boy.
This overhaul grants Meeko a variety of bad-ass new looks. You can have a bone-armored black hound or a warm-colored cutie with an intriguing Dwemer mechanical leg.
Not only that, but Meeko becomes essential, won’t set off traps or alert enemies, and can be immersively summoned with a War Horn you’ll find at his shack.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
