The Dog House slot review

The Dog House slot basics

This Pragmatic Play release is built on a traditional layout: five reels, three rows and 20 fixed paylines. Wins form when matching symbols land along one of those lines from the leftmost reel. Reference reviews such as OLBG's The Dog House page (opens in a new tab) describe the same core set-up.

Pragmatic Play's official site (opens in a new tab) lists its full catalogue. The game's release date and symbol paytable aren't in the figures we hold, so check the help screen for those.

How the features work in The Dog House

Kennel Wilds with multipliers

The wild symbol is a kennel, and it can only appear on reels 2, 3 and 4. Like any wild, it stands in for regular symbols to complete a line. Each Kennel Wild also carries a multiplier of either 2x or 3x. When a winning line runs through more than one wild, the multipliers from wilds on different reels are added together, then applied to that line's win.

Paw Print scatters and free spins

The scatter is a paw print, and it lands only on reels 1, 3 and 5. Landing Paw Prints on those reels triggers the free spins round. Before it starts, barrels are revealed and they set how many free spins you receive. The exact spin range sits in the help screen.

Sticky wilds for the whole round

During free spins, every wild that lands becomes sticky: it stays in place, with its multiplier, for the rest of the round. Each new spin adds fresh symbols around the locked wilds. A wild that sticks early can contribute to many later wins, and as more wilds lock in, lines can run through two or three of them at once.

Because wilds sit only on reels 2 to 4, the most a single line can pass through is three wilds, one per reel.

The Dog House multipliers: adding, not multiplying

The rule that wild multipliers are added is the key to the game's maths. It keeps the top line multiplier modest compared with games where multipliers multiply each other. Here are all the combinations a single line can see.

So the largest boost any one line can carry is 9x. The big outcomes come from many lines paying at once, which happens when sticky wilds pile up in free spins and form wins across several of the 20 lines on the same spin. For a broader look at how boosts work across games, see our guide to slot multipliers.

The Dog House RTP and your budget

An average return of 96.51% leaves a 3.49% house edge. High volatility means the free spins round carries a big share of that return, so base-game spins often return little or nothing.

A useful way to read this table: the average cost of £20 doesn't change with stake size, but the chance of reaching free spins at least once does. At 10p you get ten times as many spins as at £1, so the bonus has ten times as many chances to appear. Our page on how long £20 lasts on a slot explores this further.

The Dog House max win of 6,750x

The Dog House caps a single stake at 6,750x. At 10p that's £675; at 50p, £3,375; at £1, £6,750; at £2, £13,500; and at £5, £33,750. The £2 and £5 figures are the most a player aged 18 to 24 or 25 and over can stake under UK rules.

The newer The Dog House Megaways is listed in our data at a 12,305x cap with very high volatility and up to 117,649 ways, so it is a rougher ride for a bigger ceiling. Pragmatic Play doesn't publish how often either cap is reached. Read about what a max win cap means for the detail.

How to play The Dog House slot

1. Register at a UK-licensed casino and complete age and identity checks.
2. Set a financial limit when prompted, before your first deposit.
3. Open The Dog House and check the paytable for symbol values.
4. Select your stake. The UK maximum is £5 a spin at 25 or over and £2 at 18 to 24.
5. Press spin; wins pay along the 20 lines, with Kennel Wilds adding their multipliers.
6. If Paw Prints land on reels 1, 3 and 5, watch the barrels reveal your free spins.
7. Keep track of the on-screen net spend and session time, and stop at your limit.

The Dog House slot under UK rules

In Britain, The Dog House runs with the protections every online slot must have. Spins take at least 2.5 seconds, there's no autoplay or turbo, and you can't stop the reels early. The game won't play winning sounds for a return that is equal to or less than your stake. Our game design rules page explains each one.

Stake caps of £5 and £2 apply, depending on age, as set out on our stake limits page. Since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, feature buy-ins are not offered to British players, so there is no option to buy free spins.

Mistakes players make on The Dog House

• Expecting wilds to multiply each other. They add: three 3x wilds give 9x, not 27x.
• Assuming barrels can be influenced. The number of spins is decided by the game's random outcome.
• Thinking a bonus is 'due' after a long run without one; slots have no memory, as our page on the gambler's fallacy explains.
• Treating a high-volatility game as a steady earner. The RTP is a long-run average, and losses are likely over time.

Who The Dog House slot suits

It suits players who like classic line slots with one strong feature. If you prefer more movement, a Megaways or grid game will give you more action per spin, at the cost of more complex rules.

Slots like The Dog House

Our full slot reviews cover many more.

Where to play The Dog House slot

Our partner welcome deals are slot offers. None names The Dog House as an eligible game, and we can't confirm which partner lobbies have it, so check the lobby and the offer's game list first. Offers are 18+, new customers only, and terms apply.

• PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each with a first deposit of at least £10, no wagering, winnings paid as cash. Excludes Northern Ireland.
• Coral: deposit and bet £10 on slots to get 100 free spins on selected games at 10p each, accepted within 48 hours and valid for 7 days, no wagering. Some deposit methods are excluded.
• Ladbrokes: deposit and play £10 on slots to get 50 free spins daily for 10 days, up to 500, at 10p each on selected games, claimed by 23:59 each day and valid for 7 days, no wagering. Some deposit methods are excluded.

Our Big Bass Bonanza review covers PlayOJO's spin game. For full terms see our PlayOJO, Coral and Ladbrokes reviews. If gambling is affecting your health, the NHS gambling support page (opens in a new tab) explains where to get help.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.