In Nintendogs + Cats, you start at the Kennel where you're told to select a dog from the many avaliable breeds. Once selected, you take them home, and ease them into a point where you can teach them a name. Once named, you must teach them the tutorial command of 'Sit', then once completed you're set into a sandbox-like state where you can go shopping, walk your dog, play with your dog or enter competitions. Nintendogs + Cats has no overt storyline, and seemingly no clear ending. Some consider the goal to get the 'Robodog Voucher' with the collectable recycling mechanic, or get the highest amount of unlockables with the 'Trainer Points', some consider it to be winning competitions, but it really up to the player to truly decide what the ending is and how they wish to play Nintendogs + Cats.