Retriever, Go Fetch [1.0]

Even after successfully taming an animal and training it to haul, they only do so very rarely - like once every one and a half in-game hours. It hardly seems worth the time and effort. And pets are usually not of much use in combat, either.

This changes animal hauling so that it is triggered at least 3 times more frequently than is normal. That makes trained pets more useful, while still allowing them a chance to occasionally wander and feed themselves. Your colonists will still be the faster choice for hauling, which leaves the hauling job as having some purpose.

I was inspired to make this by Hardworking Animals. I liked the concept, but it seemed too OP to me. And several have reported that it forces pets to haul constantly to the point that they collapse. Some even reported that, sometimes, pets don't have time enough to feed themselves and end up starving.

My method is different. Also, it's mod friendly and less likely to break the game. And this won't push your pets so hard.

Compatibility & Updates:

This uses the xpath patching system and an insertion hook, so it should be compatible with just about everything.

Saved Games & Uninstalling:

It works without having to start a new game. Uninstalling should not cause an issue, either.

Credits:

• Daniledman for the inspiration that the Hardworking animals mod provided me. (All my files are my own or modified from the core game. Also, my approach is completely different.)
• The folks on the #modding channel of the RimWorld discord, especially Dingo, ChJees, NoImageAvailable, and erdelf.