The Dog House – What Is This Slot?
The Dog House is a 5-reel, 3-row slot game by Pragmatic Play which was first released on 9 May 2019. The game features 20 fixed paylines that pay left to right on the screen from the leftmost reel. All symbols pay from left to right across adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost of the 5 reels.
The Dog House features a Wild symbol which only appears on reels 2, 3 and 4. All Wild symbols on each of these reels will feature a random multiplier of either 2x or 3x on each spin. Should more than one Wild symbol appear on the same winning payline, each Wild's multiplier will be added together. This contributes to the possibility of winning up to 6x on a single payline. During the Free Spins round, all Wild symbols will become Sticky Wilds which will remain on the screen for the entire round of Free Spins.
How to Play The Dog House
The Dog House plays on a standard 5x3 reel grid which features 20 fixed paylines. Each winning combination pays from left to right on adjacent reels. The game also features a Wild symbol on reels 2, 3 and 4 that has a random multiplier of 2x or 3x on each spin.
- The bet for The Dog House can be adjusted using the + and - buttons. Players can also select the coin value and the number of coins to be played per spin. The bet range goes from €0.20 to €100 per spin.
- The game's spin button starts the reels spinning. After the reels stop, wins are paid out for any combinations of symbols that match on 3 or more adjacent reels from left to right on the screen.
- The Wild symbol is a golden dog house that only appears on reels 2, 3 and 4. All Wild symbols on these reels have a random multiplier of 2x or 3x on each spin.
- Should more than one Wild symbol land on the same winning payline, the multipliers of each Wild symbol will be added together. For example, should two Wild symbols with a 3x multiplier each land on the same winning payline, the win will be multiplied by 6x.
- The Bonus symbol is a paw print that only appears on reels 1, 3 and 5 on the screen. Should this symbol land on these reels, the player will trigger the Free Spins round and win 5x the total bet amount.
- Prior to the start of the Free Spins round, a 3x3 grid will appear on the screen showcasing the number of spins for each individual cell - they will be 1, 2 or 3 spins. These values will all be added together to determine the total number of spins the player will receive during the Free Spins round.
Bonus Features
Wild with Multiplier
The Dog House has a Wild symbol in the form of a golden dog house that will only appear on reels 2, 3 and 4. All Wild symbols on each of these reels will have a random multiplier of 2x or 3x on each spin. Should more than one Wild symbol land on the same payline, the multipliers will be added together — meaning there is a maximum possibility of winning 6x on any given payline. Additionally, during the Free Spins round, all Wild symbols that land on reels 2, 3 or 4 will become Sticky Wilds that will remain on the screen for that round with their original, set multipliers.
Bonus Symbol & Free Spins Trigger
The Bonus symbol will only land on reels 1, 3 and 5. Should all three of these symbols land at once, the player will trigger the Free Spins round and win 5 times the total amount that they have bet on the reels.
Sticky Wilds in Free Spins
During the Free Spins round, any Wild symbols that land on reels 2, 3 and 4 will turn into Sticky Wilds that remain on the screen for that round. The multiplier values for each of these Wilds will remain the same as when they were originally spun on the reels.
Free Spins Count Grid
Prior to the start of the Free Spins round, a 3x3 grid of cells will be displayed on the screen. Each cell will contain 1, 2 or 3 free spins. The total number of spins will be determined by adding up the number of spins for each cell. The Free Spins round cannot be retriggered and Bonus symbols do not appear on the reels during Free Spins.
Free Spins Round – Sticky Wilds Build on Every Spin
The Free Spins round is triggered by landing the Bonus symbol on reels 1, 3 and 5 at the same time. Prior to the start of the round, the player will be shown a 3x3 grid of cells that contain the number of free spins for that cell — 1, 2 or 3 spins. The number of spins will be calculated by adding up all the spins in the 3x3 grid. During the round, special reels are in play and Bonus symbols do not appear on the reels. Any Wild symbols that land on reels 2, 3 and 4 will become Sticky Wilds that last for the remainder of the round.
| Free Spins Event | Effect |
|---|---|
| 3 Bonus symbols on reels 1, 3 and 5 | Triggers Free Spins + 5x total bet bonus pay |
| Free spins count grid (3x3) | Nine cells each showing 1–3 spins — all added together |
| Wild lands on reels 2, 3 or 4 during Free Spins | Becomes a Sticky Wild — stays on screen for rest of round |
| Sticky Wild multiplier | Fixed at 2x or 3x when first landed — does not change |
| Multiple Wilds on same payline | Multipliers added together (e.g. 3x + 3x = 6x on that win) |
| Retrigger | Not possible — Bonus symbols are removed during Free Spins |
RTP & Variance Explained
The theoretical RTP for The Dog House is 96.51%. This is above the average of the developer Pragmatic Play and above the industry standard of around 95-96%. The volatility for the slot is 5 out of 5, which indicates that the wins in the base game are few and far between, but the majority of the returns are from the Free Spins round. The 6750x maximum win for this slot is excellent for a slot with a 5 out of 5 volatility rating. Additionally, the wins from the Wild symbols in the base game also have the potential to return large wins to the players.
| Bet Mode | RTP |
|---|---|
| Normal play | 96.51% |
Our Verdict
✅ Pros
- Strong 96.51% RTP — above the Pragmatic Play average
- Wild multipliers (2x/3x) add value to every base game spin
- Sticky Wilds in Free Spins — multipliers lock in and compound
- Simple, clean mechanics — easy to understand
- Charming dog theme appeals to a wide audience
- Free demo available instantly, no account needed
- Foundation of the popular Dog House franchise
❌ Cons
- No Buy Feature — must wait for natural Free Spins trigger
- Free Spins cannot be retriggered
- Wild only on reels 2, 3 and 4 — reel 1 and 5 get no Wild coverage
- Base game can run dry for long stretches at 5/5 volatility
The Dog House FAQ
The theoretical RTP of The Dog House is 96.51%, which is above the average RTP of the developer Pragmatic Play. This value refers to standard play of the game.
The maximum win in The Dog House is 6,750x your total bet. This maximum win is possible during the Free Spins round.
The Wild symbol in The Dog House is a golden dog house icon. It appears only on reels 2, 3 and 4. On each spin, all Wild symbols on each of these reels share a multiplier of either 2x or 3x. Additionally, should more than one Wild symbol land on the same payline, the multipliers are all added together.
To trigger the Free Spins round, a player must land the Bonus symbol on reels 1, 3 and 5 at the same time. Prior to the start of the Free Spins round, a 3x3 grid will display each cell with the number of free spins in that cell — it will be 1, 2 or 3 spins. The total number of spins will be calculated by adding up the spins in each cell. During the round, Wild symbols that land on reels 2, 3 and 4 will transform into Sticky Wilds which will remain on the screen for the remainder of the round with their original, set multipliers. The Free Spins round cannot be retriggered during the game.
The Bonus symbol in The Dog House only appears on reels 1, 3 and 5. Should all three of these land at the same time, the player will trigger the Free Spins round. Additionally, landing these symbols will pay out 5 times the total amount that the player has bet on the reels. The Bonus symbols pay if they land on any position on their reels but cannot land on reels 2 and 4.
Yes, the free play demo of The Dog House is available to play on this page. In order to play for free, no player will have to create an account or deposit any money. All features, including the Wild and the Free Spins round will work within the free demo game.