
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,330
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Squatter
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 1962

1977
Rules assistance for Dogopoly
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dogopoly is a board game released in 1977 for 2–8 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Robert Spahtz and Michael Spahitz and its main mechanics are Trading and Roll / Spin and Move.
Monopoly with a couple of interesting twists. For kids, the most interesting twists are the canine theme. All the markers are dogs, the spaces around the board are different breeds, jail has become "the pound" and the houses are actually doghouses. Community Chest and Chance morph into Trees and Telephone poles (less sophomoric than it sounds) and instead of bank error in your favor you get rewarded for running off the dogcatcher or you have to go to the vet. The theme encourages a more light hearted approach than the serious real estate game. For adults the best "twists" are those that speed up the action. The game does not require you to own all the territories of a given color before you can build a doghouse. You can only build as many doghouses as you have territories of that color, but you don't have to own them all. For instance, yellow in Dogopoly has three territories, if you own two of them you could have two doghouses on each, even if the third is unowned, or even owned by another player. Whenever you first buy a territory you are also given the option to immediately buy a doghouse at half-price. Taken together these little twists make the game go much faster. There are few other twists, like the addition of shortcut paths across the board that can reroute players.
Dogopoly supports 2–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Dogopoly is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Dogopoly for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Dogopoly has a complexity rating of 2.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Dogopoly belongs to these categories: Animals and Economic. Its main mechanics are Trading and Roll / Spin and Move. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Dogopoly are: Robert Spahtz and Michael Spahitz. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Dogopoly as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.