Leafdogs Species Guidelines

Leafdogs are a closed species. To learn more about creating or adopting your own, check out the links on the sidebar!

Leafdogs are a hybrid of nature spirits and animals, resembling canine creatures with plants sprouting from their body! They are not dogs but range in appearance from almost identical to domestic dogs to strange, vaguely canine-shaped creatures.

All leafdogs possess plant magic of some sort. Leafdogs can be seen bringing the forest back to life after a fire, or interacting with humans by helping tend a garden.

General Appearance

Most leafdogs appear identical or very similar to domestic or wild dogs, and can have any variety of plant growing along their face or body. Their coat patterns/colors are highly varied and may include bright or unnatural colors.

Leafdogs have highly varied body shapes, ranging in appearance from a common domestic dog shaped body, to very rare canine-like hybrid shaped creatures.

Full list of traits and their rarity can be found here.

Even leafdogs with a very dog-like appearance have one clear distinction from real dogs- their ears! Usually hidden within even the shortest and most sparse plant growth, a leafdog’s ears are incredibly small, similar to those of a sealion.

Plant Growth

Static vs. Seasonal Growth

Some leafdogs are seasonal and will change colors of their leaves, grow flowers, wilt/shed etc at certain times. Most are fairly static though, regardless of the kind of plant they grow, so even a leafdog that grows a seasonal plant like ginkgo or lavender will have the same color and amount of growth year-round. Some leafdogs will have static growth but seasonal flowers or colors (blooming in spring, or turning red in autumn), others may have static color and seasonal growth (leaves stay green but grow more in certain seasons). Others may have both seasonal growth AND seasonal color, but most are entirely static.

A leafdog’s plants can be trimmed or clipped and will regrow, however this is not a common practice. Leafdogs with static growth, when trimmed, will regrow their plants back to the original size/length but no further. Leafdogs with seasonal growth will need to be pruned regularly, or they will grow wild!

Plant Variety

Most leafdogs only grow one plant type - very rarely a leafdog will have two species of plant growing, either split or growing together!

Growth Patterns

Leafdogs can have a wide array of plant growth patterns!

These are some common, named growth patterns but these are just guidelines; feel free to experiment with different shapes and patterns!

  • horse mane (along the back of the neck like a horse or zebra, still covering the ears)
  • lion mane (around the face, neck and chest like a lion)
  • face (small ruff around cheeks and top of head only)
  • “poodle” (face and legs only)
  • full-body (almost entire body except face, paws, and maybe tail)
  • dorsal (horse pattern but along whole back including tail)
  • sparse (thick around face/head but very small, spaced apart plants everywhere else)
  • drape (growth on head, back of neck, back, shoulders and haunches- no growth under chin/neck or tummy)