The Dog House slot review
The Dog House is a charming 5×3 slot game released by Pragmatic Play back in 2019. With a maximum win potential of 6,750x your wager, it pairs high volatility with an RTP rating of 96.51%.
The game’s highlight lies in its bonus round, where you can unlock anywhere between nine and 27 free spins. This is also where sticky Wilds with attached multipliers comes into play.
To find out more about how you can make the most out of this slot, be sure to check out my comprehensive review of The Dog House below.
Highlights
The Dog House review summary
The Dog House keeps things light-hearted, with charming visuals, vibrant colors, and limited but playful animations. This is because the symbols remain mostly static unless they form part of winning combinations, which in turn can make the game feel a little less lively over time.
However, the cheerful background music and sound effects complement the cartoon-like aesthetic, creating a fun and inviting atmosphere.
Despite its playful look, The Dog House packs a punch, with high volatility that will appeal to players who don’t mind taking big risks in return for potential big wins. That said, the game’s mechanics are fairly simple, with a straightforward layout that makes it very accessible for beginners too.
While entertaining, the game is limited in features, so for those who prefer a bit more variety, there’s also The Dog House Multihold. This follow-up title from Pragmatic Play comes with vastly greater winning combinations and payout potential.
Pros
96.51% RTP and high volatility
6,750x max win
Sticky Wilds in bonus round
Cons
Lacking bonus features
No progressive jackpots
No respins during bonus round
The Dog House comprehensive review
In this review of The Dog House, I’ll be discussing all the key points that make up this Pragmatic Play slot. This includes RTP, volatility, and paylines, along with its bonus features, payouts, and the symbols that define the game.
RTP and volatility
The Dog House has a fixed RTP of 96.51%, which means it isn’t affected by the bonus round. With high volatility, the slot features 20 paylines on a 5×3 grid layout, with winning combinations paid from left to right.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.51% |
| Maximum win | 6,750x |
| Number of paylines | 20 |
| Volatility | High |
The high volatility associated with this game is very typical of slots by Pragmatic Play, and was pretty consistent with my own experience.
In fact, after 100 spins, i recorded a hit rate of 30% with some decent wins. This will appeal to players who don’t mind taking big risks in return for potentially big rewards.
Plus, the game’s RTP hovers slightly above the industry average of 96%, which makes for a decent average expected return of funds over a sustained period of time.
Aside from that, the 20 paylines on a standard 5×3 grid make it easy to track winning combinations. This is ideal for players who prefer simple layouts that are easy to follow.
Bonus features
In the base game, Wild symbols are represented by a dog kennel and only show up on reels 2, 3, and 4. They can sometimes appear with 2x or 3x multipliers attached and act as substitutes for any symbol except Scatters, which are key to unlocking the free spins bonus round.
Scatter symbols are represented by a red gem shaped like a paw, with the word ‘Bonus’ written underneath it. Landing three Scatters on reels 1, 3, and 5 will trigger the slot’s bonus feature.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Bonus features | Wilds, free spins, multipliers |
| Top features | Sticky Wilds |
| Jackpot | N/A |
Once triggered, the game transitions to a short pre-bonus feature where a cartoonish-looking Rottweiler spins a 3×3 mechanical grid. Each cell in the grid is numbered 1, 2, and 3. After one spin, the order of the cells determines your total number of spins in the bonus round.
This means you can land a minimum of nine and a maximum of 27 free spins. The Wilds retain the same mechanics as in the base game, except now they also become sticky, meaning they stay locked in place until the bonus ends.
The game info states that special reels are also in play during this bonus, which increases the likelihood of landing higher-value symbols more often. The Scatter symbol is not in play during the free spins round and therefore you cannot retrigger spins.
Sometimes, it’s the simple things that deliver the best results, and The Dog House is a fine example of this. Nowadays, many providers create elaborate features with multiple game modes.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Wanted Dead or a Wild by Hacksaw Gaming is a great example of a much-beloved slot with multiple game modes. However, sometimes you just want something less complicated, but equally enjoyable.
In The Dog House, the sticky Wilds are a simple touch that add genuine value to the free spins round. That said, it’s a shame they can’t be retriggered during the bonus game.
Symbols and paytable
Aside from the Bonus and Wild symbols, The Dog House features eleven symbols. This includes five low-paying symbols represented by classic card icons (A, K, Q, J, and 10).
The six remaining high-paying symbols are made up of four charming and cartoonish-looking dogs, while the last two consist of a collar and a bone.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Dog kennel |
| Reel layout | 5×3 |
| Highest paying symbol | Rottweiler |
| Adjustable paylines | N/A |
| Visuals | Classic |
| Sound | Repetitive |
| Mobile quality | Good |
Payouts are based on landing three, four, or five matching symbols from left to right. For instance, landing three 10s – the lowest-paying symbol – on a bet per spin of $0.20 pays $0.02 or 0.1x your wager.
In contrast, landing five of the slot’s highest-paying symbols – the Rottweiler – pays $7.50, or 37.5x, your bet of $0.20 per spin. This means that if you raise your stake to the maximum of $100 per spin, landing a winning combination of five Rottweilers would give you a return of $3,750.
Naturally, when Wilds form part of winning combinations, these payouts can rise even higher. This is because each Wild carries a 2x or 3x multiplier. However, bear in mind that the maximum payout is capped at 6,750x your stake.
Considering its straightforward setup and the absence of features like jackpots or Megaways technology, The Dog House’s maximum win potential of 6,750x is actually very good.
It may not be the biggest on the market, but it’s still a lot higher than the maximum win limits of similarly structured games like Fat Rabbit by Push Gaming (3,844x) or Big Bass Bonanza by Pragmatic Play (2,100x).
Low card icons offer very low pays, but the variance between high and low payout symbols is well-balanced. So, while hitting the maximum win is exceptionally rare, the remaining dog symbols still deliver very respectable payouts, especially when paired with Wild multipliers.
How to play The Dog House slot
The Dog House slot game allows bets ranging from $0.20 to $100 per spin. You can adjust your bet size by pressing the plus (+) or minus (-) buttons on either side of the spin button.
This will open a small betting menu where you can set your wager by either adjusting the coins per line or simply changing the total bet. Alternatively, you can also select the ‘Bet Max’ button.
You can view your current bet size on the left-hand corner of the screen, below the reels and right next to your total account balance. Once you are satisfied with your wager, select the large spin button represented by two circular arrows.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Min bet | $0.20 |
| Max bet | $100 |
| Autoplay | Available |
| Turbo mode | Available |
| Game history | N/A |
Below the spin button, you’ll find the autoplay button. Selecting this opens up a small menu enabling you to use a slider to determine the number of autospins. You can also activate or deactivate ‘Turbo Spin’, ‘Quick Spin’, and ‘Skip Screens’ to speed up or slow down gameplay. Once you are happy, simply click on the ‘Start Autoplay’ button highlighted in green.
At the bottom left of the screen, select the sound icon to adjust the game’s volume. Alternatively, from more in-depth sound management, select the hamburger icon represented by three horizontal lines. From here, you can toggle on and off sound effects and background music. You can even make spins go faster and save battery on your device by selecting the ‘Battery Saver’ option.
Casinos where to play The Dog House
As a market leader in producing high-quality slots, Pragmatic Play titles can be found at many top-rated online casinos. This includes The Dog House, which you can play at the following recommended sites:
| Casino Logo | Rating | Bonus | Go-to-casino button | Show more | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
88/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
92%
Playscore
based on
|
$20 Bonus Dollars + 100% up to $1,000
|
Play now players accepted |
|
Visit Borgata.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. NJ only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER. |
2
|
81/100
Expert rating
by Jack B.
86%
Playscore
based on
|
200% up to $100 + 25 free spins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
3
|
85/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
86%
Playscore
based on
|
$25 bonus bet + up to $500 in deposit bonuses
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
1
|
94/100
Expert rating
by Sophie P.
81%
Playscore
based on
|
50,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
2
|
94/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
91%
Playscore
based on
|
1.5 million WOW Coins + 35 free Sweepstakes Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
3
|
93/100
Expert rating
by Sophie P.
79%
Playscore
based on
|
50,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
4
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
79%
Playscore
based on
|
25,000 Gold Coins + 2.5 Spree Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
5
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Vule P.
79%
Playscore
based on
|
500 Gold Coins + 3 FREE Sweeps Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
6
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Sophie P.
77%
Playscore
based on
|
50,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
7
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
81%
Playscore
based on
|
10,000 Gold Coins + 2 Sweeps Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
8
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
87%
Playscore
based on
|
Up to 120,000 Gold Coins + 10 Sweeps Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
9
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
89%
Playscore
based on
|
Up to 650,000 Gold Coins + 1,400 Fortune Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
10
|
88/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
96%
Playscore
based on
|
250,000 Gold Coins + $25 Stake Cash
|
Play now players accepted |
|
Expert verdict
After spending some time spinning the reels and testing out the game’s bonus elements, I can definitely see why The Dog House remains such a popular choice for players. It blends simplicity and humor, along with the potential for some satisfying big wins.
The game’s maximum win cap is not the largest, but is still very solid. Plus, the wide range of betting limits make it suitable for both low and high-stakes players
The soundtrack, while fun and consistent with the general theme, can get a bit repetitive and annoying during longer playing sessions. I usually played with the music on mute or very low but kept the sound effects on for that satisfying spin-and-win feel.
Visually speaking, I enjoyed the cartoon-like aesthetic, but the static nature of the symbols does little for engagement. Of course, some players won’t care about this, but the lack of features does make the game feel a bit bare.
That said, The Dog House is a slot that plays to its strengths. Ultimately, the game’s simplicity works in its favor and is well-balanced with high volatility and an above-average RTP.
FAQs
What is the RTP of The Dog House?
The Dog House slot game has an RTP of 96.51%, placing it just above the industry average.
What is the maximum win potential of The Dog House slot?
The maximum win potential in The Dog House sits at 6,750x. This can be achieved in the bonus round and the base game by landing a combination of Wild multipliers in tandem with the game’s highest-paying symbol.
Does The Dog House have a progressive jackpot?
No, The Dog House does not have a progressive jackpot.
How do I trigger free spins?
Free spins can be triggered by landing three Bonus symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5 during the base game. This will activate a pre-bonus feature that will determine your number of free spins, which can range from nine up to 27.
Is this a high-volatility slot?
The Dog House is rated high volatility, which is very typical of slots by Pragmatic Play.
