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No, Rex's condition is way beyond anything we can handle. He requires brain surgery, and some sophisticated cybernetics work, too.Julie Farkas

Nothin' But a Hound Dog is a companion quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Side Quest: Nothin' But a Hound Dog 
Talk to The King in Freeside at the King's School of Impersonation
Talk to Julie Farkas about what can be done to help Rex
Return to the King with the news that Rex can be healed. 
Take Rex to Doctor Henry in Jacobstown to learn how he can be fixed. 
Acquire a new brain for Rex from one of the Fiends's dogs
Acquire a new brain for Rex from one of Old Lady Gibson's dogs
Acquire a new brain for Rex from one of Caesar's Legion's dogs
Return to Jacobstown and have Violetta's brain transplanted. 
Return to Jacobstown and have Rey's brain transplanted. 
Return to Jacobstown and have Lupa's brain transplanted. 
Reward: Rex as permanent follower
Unshakeable Tracker perk
500 XP 
Reward: Rex as permanent follower
Faithful Protector perk
500 XP 
Reward: Rex as permanent follower
Blood of the Legion perk
500 XP 

Detailed walkthrough[]

While talking with The King in the King's School of Impersonation in Freeside, he can be asked about the cyberdog with him, Rex. The King will explain that Rex is getting old and with age comes problems. The old hound is suffering a serious one with his organic brain starting to fail, which will inevitably kill him if nothing is done about it. The King requests that the player visit Julie Farkas at the Old Mormon Fort to see if she can help at all.

Talking to Julie reveals that the Followers cannot properly fix the cyberdog. However, she does know of someone who can help: Dr. Henry in Jacobstown. If the King is told of this, he will express happiness but say that he cannot leave due to the unrest in Freeside (regardless of whether the major conflict has already been resolved). The King allows Rex to become a companion of the Courier while he's getting his brain fixed, and lets the Courier know about Rex's peculiar personality traits, namely his hatred of rats and hats.

At Jacobstown, Dr. Henry can be found in the lodge along with his assistant Calamity. Talking to him reveals that during his scientific training with the Enclave, he specialized in neurology and canine cybernetics. From what he can tell about Rex, the only cure for the old hound's condition is to get him a healthy, new brain. He gives three locations where one could be found:

  • The Gibson scrap yard, just north of Novac. Old Lady Gibson will ask for 700 caps in exchange for the brain of her dog Rey. A Barter skill of 70 or higher allows for obtaining it for free.
  • A Fiend camp near the Poseidon gas station. Among a large group of Fiend hounds, look for Violetta, a boss guard dog. Killing her will also involve killing her master Violet, who is hostile. She is also one of the bounty targets in the quest Three-Card Bounty for Major Dhatri at Camp McCarran.
  • The Fort, most easily accessed during the start of Render Unto Caesar. The Legion's houndmaster Antony stands next to Lupa, one of his best dogs. In exchange for taking her brain, Antony requests that Lupa be given an honorable death by combat in the arena. Accepting puts the player against the hound in the arena, wielding only a machete and with no armor.

Once a brain has been selected and brought back to Henry, he will perform the operation, which will cure Rex's condition and grant him one of three perks depending on the brain used: with Rey's brain, he gains the Faithful Protector perk, increasing his attack damage (+25 damage); with Violetta's brain, he gains the Unshakeable Tracker perk, increasing his speed (+50% movement speed); and with Lupa's brain, he gains the Blood of the Legion perk, increasing his damage threshold (+10 DT).

Taking the newly restored Rex back to the King in Freeside will have the gang leader overjoyed. He will offer to let Rex remain in the Courier's company from then on.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
1 Talk to Julie Farkas about what can be done to help Rex.
2 Return to the King with the news that Rex can be healed.
10 Take Rex to Doctor Henry in Jacobstown to learn how he can be fixed.
20 Acquire a new brain for Rex from one of Old Lady Gibson's dogs.
25 (Optional) Search for an exceptional canine brain among Caesar's Legion.
30 (Optional) Search for an exceptional canine brain among the Fiends.
50Quest finishedReturn to Jacobstown and have Rex's brain transplant performed.

Notes[]

  • Despite it being impossible in normal circumstances for a female Courier to participate in the arena at the Fort, she will be allowed to fight Lupa to recover her brain.
  • If Violetta was killed before starting this quest, likely when completing Three-Card Bounty, her body won't despawn so that her brain can still be collected.

Behind the scenes[]

The name of the quest is a reference to the song Hound Dog recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1952 and famously covered by Elvis Presley in 1956.

Bugs[]

  • PCPC When asking Henry to perform the transplant using any brain, the game might crash. This issue is related to timescale modifications, setting the timescale to its default value (30.0) should correct the problem.
  • PCPC Rey can occasionally be found outside Helios One when the Courier is attempting to adjust the reflectors. Rey may be one of the hostile dogs at that time. [verified]
  • PCPC It is possible to stealthily kill Lupa and loot Lupa's brain from her corpse. If she is successfully killed without the player being noticed, Antony may not "notice" that Lupa has died and will still give you the option to fight her in the arena for her brain. If the player accepts, it is possible to obtain a second Lupa's Brain. DO NOT DO THIS. Having 2 of the brains in your inventory will cause Dr. Henry to not recognize that you have the brain at all, making it impossible to give Rex Lupa's brain. To solve this, either revert to an earlier save, or enter "player.removeitem 0013d851 1" in the console, without the quotes. Make sure that you only have one instance of Lupa's brain. [verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 If you have already killed Old Lady Gibson as well as her dogs, Rey's quest marker may change positions on the world map either showing up at Novac or Gibson scrap yard. In both cases, Rey's corpse may be stuck inside the ground, making it hard for the player to see Rey's body or even realize that the body is glitched. [verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 Old Lady Gibson may spawn at Helios One hostile. If you don't scavenge Rey's brain its body will actually stay out back in the solar field. [verified]
  • PCPC There is a chance, if you finish the quest by talking to Calamity rather than Henry, that the variable for Rex's brain won't be set in the quest, you'll get the ending for if you hadn't actually transplanted the brain at all. The fix for this is as follows: [verified]
- Press ~ to bring up the console.
- Type: set "001176B8".nTransplantResult to X

(You must type the quotes for this to work in the console)

X is one of the following:
0 for no transplant ending.
1 for Rey's brain ending.
2 for Violetta's brain ending.
3 for Lupa's brain ending.
That will fix the issue.
This can also be used in comparison with the resetquest trick above. If you do a resetquest 001176B8, you'll then have to pick up the quest from The King and do setstage 001176B8 30. Follow the quest through as normal then, and once the quest is over, do the command above.
If you're having any other problems, try this command: set "0010d8df".ReceivedTransplant to 1
  • PCPC Upon transplanting Violetta's brain Rex's Hit Points may become set at 0/0 making him impossible to heal. [verified]
  • PCPC Sometimes the player is unable to enter a conversation with Dr. Henry; he spouts "Keep your head down, there could be snipers about" repeatedly. There is no known fix for this bug, however, it may work to disable, enable, kill, and resurrect him using console commands. To complete the quest via console, use the command: setstage 001176B8 100. [verified]
  • PCPC If you complete the first part of the quest by speaking to Doctor Henry The King may act like the quest "G.I. Blues" is active and will say "My eyes on the street tell me you haven't paid our mutual friend Orris a visit yet. Until you do, we got nothing to talk about." [verified]
  • PCPC When talking to The King after completing the quest, he will say "You're a man of your word," even if the player character is female. [verified]
Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Don't Poke at the Bear! · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse
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