Taming
Taming allows players to domesticate certain wild creatures in Valheim for resources, breeding, and base defense. Proper pen design, patience, and the correct food are essential for successful taming.
🧾 How Taming Works
- Only specific creatures can be tamed.
- Creatures must be enclosed in a secure pen.
- Drop their preferred food nearby.
- Stay within render distance for taming progress.
- Avoid startling or damaging them during the process.
Taming progresses gradually over time and pauses if the creature is frightened or aggroed.
🐾 Tameable Creatures
| Creature | Biome | Preferred Food | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boar | Meadows | Mushrooms, Raspberries, Blueberries, Carrots | Leather scraps, Raw meat |
| Wolf | Mountains | Raw meat (most types) | Combat companion, Wolf pelts |
| Lox | Plains | Cloudberries, Barley | Lox meat, Lox pelt, Riding |
Additional tameable creatures may be added with updates.
🏗 Building a Taming Pen
Best practices:
- Use stakewalls or raised earth to prevent escape.
- Avoid wooden gates if the creature can break them.
- Use a small enclosed space to keep the animal near food.
- Roof is optional but can help protect from raids.
For wolves especially, stone or reinforced structures are recommended.
🥕 Taming Process (Step-by-Step)
1. Aggro the creature and lure it into a prepared pen. 2. Close the entrance safely. 3. Drop the correct food on the ground inside the pen. 4. Leave the area slightly but remain nearby. 5. Wait until taming reaches 100%.
A heart icon appears when taming progresses.
🐣 Breeding
Once tamed:
- Two creatures of the same type placed together may breed.
- They must be fed and not overcrowded.
- Offspring are born tame.
Breeding allows sustainable farming of materials and food.
⚔ Tamed Creature Uses
- Boars: Early leather and meat farm.
- Wolves: Base defense and combat support.
- Lox: High-tier food, transport, and resource farming.
Tamed wolves will automatically attack hostile creatures near your base.
🛠 Strategy Tips
- Always build pens before attempting to tame.
- Bring stamina food when capturing wolves in the Mountains.
- Breed animals in separate enclosed areas to prevent raid losses.
- Use raised earth walls for maximum security.