Dog-opoly is a board game created for up to six people in which you buy spaces on the board and earn rent when other players land on your property. In Dog-opoly the spaces for sale represent dog breeds, like Yorkshire Terriers and Labradors, and dog-themed hot spots like the neighborhood fire hydrant and the local butcher shop. The object is to be the last dog owner standing, with more property, dog houses, bones and cash than the other players. The game provides one to two hours of dog-themed play for ages eight and up.
Lay out the game board and pieces on a table or other sturdy surface. Dog-opoly has: a game board, six dog bowls used as player tokens, dog houses, bones, Good Dog and Bad Dog cards, deeds, play money and a pair of dice. Place the cards on the spaces indicated in the center of the board.
Choose a banker. This person needs to have basic math skills and will be in charge of handing out money to other players and collecting fees. The banker holds the deeds, bones and dog houses until they are bought during the game.
Collect two $500s, three $100s, three $50s, five $20s, five $10s, five $5’s and five $1s from the banker. Choose a dog bowl token and place it in the middle of the game board. This will be your marker for the game.
Roll the dice to see who goes first. The player with the highest roll begins the game, using the Go Fetch space as the starting point. When it’s your turn, move the number of spaces indicated by your dice roll, moving in a clockwise direction around the board.
Follow the directions for the space on which you land. Depending on where you land, you can buy the deed to a dog, pay a penalty for catching fleas or pick up a Good Dog or Bad Dog card.
Pay the amount of rent shown on the board if you land on a space owned by another player. Rent goes to the owner. Collect rent from other players if they land on your space. After the completion of your turn, play continues to your left.
Buy dog houses and bones for spaces you own to increase the amount of rent other players pay for landing on them. Find the price for the dog house or bone on the dog deed and pay the banker.
Continue playing until all but one player have gone bankrupt, i.e., they don’t have enough money to pay rent or fees. The last dog owner still in the game wins.
Tip
If you roll doubles you get another turn. If you roll doubles three times in a row you must go to the Kennel and your turn ends. Do not collect $200 for passing Go Fetch on your way to the Kennel.
If you are sent to the Kennel, you must stay there until you roll doubles during your turn. If you roll doubles, move the number of spaces shown on your dice and your turn ends. If you don’t roll doubles after three turns, put $100 in the center of the board, move the number of spaces shown on your dice and your turn ends.
If you land on a dog space but don’t have enough money to buy it, the other players can bid to buy the deed. The player with the highest bid wins the right to buy the dog deed.
You may sell your dog houses and bones back to the bank, or mortgage your dog deed, if you are short on cash. Follow the directions on your dog deed — each deed has different terms.
Tips
- If you roll doubles you get another turn. If you roll doubles three times in a row you must go to the Kennel and your turn ends. Do not collect $200 for passing Go Fetch on your way to the Kennel.
- If you are sent to the Kennel, you must stay there until you roll doubles during your turn. If you roll doubles, move the number of spaces shown on your dice and your turn ends. If you don't roll doubles after three turns, put $100 in the center of the board, move the number of spaces shown on your dice and your turn ends.
- If you land on a dog space but don't have enough money to buy it, the other players can bid to buy the deed. The player with the highest bid wins the right to buy the dog deed.
- You may sell your dog houses and bones back to the bank, or mortgage your dog deed, if you are short on cash. Follow the directions on your dog deed --- each deed has different terms.
Writer Bio
Rachel Spradling is a writer and editor with over 14 years of experience writing everything from political commentary to training manuals. She graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Spradling's work has appeared in "CitiZen" magazine, "Watershed" and "News and Review."
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