Rufus

Rufus Marston
Gameplay
Game	Red Dead Redemption Red Dead Redemption 2
Biography
Gender	Male
Location	Beecher's Hope
Family	Marston family

“	Oh, that's Rufus, he's... loyal, dumb, and angry... so he reminded us of you.	„
	—Abigail Marston introducing John to Rufus.

Rufus is a minor character featured in Red Dead Redemption, Undead Nightmare, and Red Dead Redemption 2. He is the Marston family dog; a yellow Labrador Retriever.

Quick Answers

What breed is Rufus, the Marston family dog in Red Dead Redemption?

Rufus, a minor character in the Red Dead Redemption series, is a yellow Labrador Retriever. Known for his loyalty to the Marston family, Rufus is a reliable tracking dog. Abigail Marston characterizes him as 'loyal, dumb, and angry'.

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How does Rufus prove his reliability in Red Dead Redemption?

Rufus, a dependable tracking dog in Red Dead Redemption, demonstrates his reliability by assisting in tracking elk during a mission, performing daily chores, and engaging in play with Jack. He shows resilience by surviving a snake bite. Rufus also contributes to the Foreman's Office tasks, including sending Marston on Nightwatch, and is often seen playing Horseshoes at MacFarlane's Ranch.

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What happens to Rufus during the mission 'Trying Again'?

In the mission 'Trying Again', Rufus, the dog, is bitten by a snake while he is out fishing with John and Jack. To save Rufus, John has to extract the venom from the bite. Following this incident, Rufus can be observed roaming the ranch, engaging in play with Jack, and occasionally trailing John during his routine tasks.

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Who adopted Rufus in Red Dead Redemption 2?

Rufus, a dependable tracking dog in Red Dead Redemption 2, is taken in by Abigail and Jack Marston. He shows up at Beecher's Hope in the epilogue, where Abigail characterizes him as 'loyal, dumb and angry'. Rufus is often seen on the ranch, engaging with Jack, and sometimes accompanying John in his routine tasks.

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How does Abigail describe Rufus in Red Dead Redemption?

Rufus, a tracking dog in Red Dead Redemption, is adopted by Abigail and Jack Marston. Abigail characterizes Rufus as being 'loyal, dumb and angry'. He is known for his reliability and assistance in various missions.

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History

Background

Not much is known about the backstory of Rufus, other than he is a reliable tracking dog, and a good boy. Abigail Marston adopted the dog in 1907 alongside her son, Jack. Her reasoning for naming the dog Rufus is because it reminded her of John Marston, as he is "loyal, dumb, and angry", similar to Rufus.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2

Rufus arrives at Beecher's Hope during the epilogue, having been adopted by Abigail and Jack Marston. He is described by Abigail as "loyal, dumb and angry". During the mission "Trying Again", he is bitten by a snake while John and Jack are fishing, and John must suck the venom out of him. Rufus can then be found wandering around the ranch, playing with Jack, and occasionally following John while he completes his daily chores. 

Events of Red Dead Redemption

Rufus appears in the mission "John Marston and Son" where he assists in tracking down elk. He then accompanies Jack and John in the mission "Wolves, Dogs and Sons" where he assists in tracking down packs of wolves. Rufus then assists John in finding Jack during the mission "Spare the Love, Spoil the Child". Rufus is last seen running behind the house during the mission "The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed". His fate following the shootout is unknown.

Events of Undead Nightmare

Note: The events of Undead Nightmare are not considered part of the same canon as Red Dead Redemption. The following description is therefore not contiguous with the preceding section on Red Dead Redemption.

During the mission "Love in the Time of Plague", Rufus is seen being chased behind the house by the undead Jack. After John hogties the undead Abigail, Jack turns his attention to John, and Rufus runs off towards Tall Trees.

Rufus is never seen again in Undead Nightmare after "Love in the Time of Plague", leaving his fate unknown. Even after when John returns to his family at the beginning of "On a Pale Horse", Rufus does not appear when the family embrace each other.

Mission appearances

Red Dead Redemption

• "The Outlaw's Return"
• "Pestilence"
• "John Marston and Son"
• "Wolves, Dogs and Sons"
• "Spare the Love, Spoil the Child"
• "The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed"

Undead Nightmare

• "Love in the Time of Plague"

Red Dead Redemption 2

• "The Best of Women"
• "Trying Again"
• "A Really Big Bastard"
• "American Venom"

Trivia

• Rufus, Charlie and Lucy are the only named domestic animals in Red Dead Redemption.
• Rufus appears to be a yellow Labrador Retriever, not to be confused with the Golden Retriever (Golden Retrievers have a longer coat). This is confirmed in Red Dead Redemption II.
  • In Redemption 2, Rufus has a different model from all other Labradors in-game, being lankier and with noticeably larger ears for his body size. This may indicate that Rufus is still in adolescence (around 8-12 months old) and is not finished growing. 
  • Rufus also has a different skin from other labradors, with darker markings compared to other yellow labs, as well as being liver-based rather than black-based (as can be told by his brown nose).
• Sometimes, if the player kills a dog while playing as Jack Marston, he will say "I guess I just miss Rufus."
• In Redemption, Rufus can occasionally be found inside the House (Beecher's Hope) and is found in Jack's room and lies down until he wakes up.
  • In Redemption 2, Rufus cannot enter the house in normal gameplay and appears to sleep on the porch.
• If the player kills Rufus, like when killing members of John's family, the game will fail.
• On rare occasions, two Rufus dogs will spawn, but the player cannot kill either of them.
• Rufus may be killed by a cougar, should one enter Beecher's Hope. This does not affect missions, however, and he will simply respawn.
• A glitch may occur where after the mission "The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed" and the stranger-side mission "Remember My Family", Rufus can be found seen sitting in Jack's room on the rug. It is possible to nudge Rufus out of the house, however after that, he will just run away and if the player moves their camera off of him just once, he will disappear.
  • If the player saves the game while Rufus is still in Jack's room, he will have disappeared once the player exits the save screen.
• If the player studies Rufus in Red Dead Redemption 2, the text will simply read "Rufus is a good boy", instead of the typical breed information shown when studying other dogs.
• While playing as Jack, barking noises can occasionally be heard at Beecher's Hope, despite Rufus or any other dog not being seen in the area. This has led to many speculations, but is probably a developer oversight.
• Based off cut dialogue, it appears Rufus was going to attack and then be subsequently shot by Archer Fordham during "The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed".

Gallery

Compendium image

Photo Mode-Screenshot of Rufus

Rufus in Red Dead Redemption

Rufus at Beecher's Hope in Red Dead Redemption

Rufus inside of Jack's Bedroom in Red Dead Redemption