How to train animals in RimWorld 

Training animals in RimWorld Odyssey is one of the smartest ways to strengthen your colony. Trained animals can carry resources, fight enemies, rescue fallen pawns, and just make life easier all around. If you’ve been ignoring them, you’re leaving serious value on the table.

It’s a genuine survival strategy. Whether you're running a high-tech space outpost or a tribal hut in the woods, trained animals can become the backbone of your colony.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started, from who to train, which animals are worth the effort, and how to keep their skills sharp.

How can you train animals in RimWorld

Training animals isn't something just anyone can do. You need a colonist with the Animals skill. The higher the skill, the better your chances of taming and training successfully. Look for someone with a flame icon next to the skill. It means they’ll learn faster and enjoy the work.

If no one has much experience, don’t worry. You can level them up by starting with easy animals.

Before you can teach an animal anything useful, you have to tame it. Select a wild animal on the map and choose Tame. Then, make sure your handler has the right food in their inventory. It varies depending on the species. Some animals like veggies, others prefer raw meat or kibble.

Early on, focus on animals that are calm and don’t turn hostile when taming fails. Good first picks include alpacas, muffalos, boars, or huskies. These creatures are useful, safe, and easy to manage.

Once an animal is tamed, open its Training tab. You’ll see four options:

• Obedience - Teaches animals to follow orders and stick with their master. You need this before anything else.
• Release - Lets you send animals into battle. Great for defense or ambushes.
• Rescue - Trained animals can drag injured colonists to safety.
• Haul - Animals will carry items to storage.

You can’t skip steps. You have to train obedience before unlocking the others. It takes time, but it’s absolutely worth it.

If your animals are hungry, hurt, or sleeping on the ground in the cold, they won’t train well. Make sure to feed them properly and keep them in proper shelters. Also, proper medical care should be prioritized in case of infections or wounds.

Not all animals are equal. Some are useless, while others are game-changers. Here are a few worth your attention:

• Huskies & Labradors - Easy to train, great for hauling and rescuing.
• Wargs & Bears - Combat-focused. Powerful but dangerous to handle early on.
• Boomalopes - Produce chemfuel. Useful if you’ve got a tech-heavy setup.
• Cows & Yaks - Steady sources of milk and pack animals for caravans.

If you need hauling support, go for dogs. If you are preparing for combat then invest in bigger, tougher animals.

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Edited by Ripunjay Gaba