However, it didn't start that way as the team began by researching 'professional' dogs with film and/or police training.
Not just because of her beauty (but yes, that too), her markings happened to work really well for pose read + facial expression. To begin with the obvious River's looks were almost directly replicated to the in-game model.
Burgess began by saying that River was 'the antidote to my biggest worry for the Dogmeat character - a canine weapon, and nothing more.' River made their goal of having Dogmeat become a companion first and a combat ally second come true.
