Black Hayate

Black Hayate is a small Shiba Inu with the breed's black-and-white coat and a curled, crescent-shaped tail. His mixed heritage lends him a look that also recalls a Siberian Husky, and over the series he grows from a tiny, rain-soaked puppy into Riza's steadfast companion.

Famous above all for being a very good boy, Hayate is obedient almost to a fault under Riza's firm training, sitting, shaking each paw, and lying down on command before he is ever allowed to eat. He is brave when it matters, throwing himself at threats to shield his owner, and devoted enough that his loyalty becomes a recurring source of jokes throughout the author's omakes.

Master Sergeant Kain Fuery found the stray out on the street and tried to pass him along to a comrade, but each one begged off: Falman lived in a dormitory, Breda was terrified of dogs, Havoc joked about dogs being eaten in Xing, the Elrics travel too much, and Mustang spoke as though he would mistreat the animal. Rather than send the puppy back into the rain, Riza took him in, named him Black Hayate, then cured his indoor accidents through her own stern brand of discipline.

He later guards Fuery during the Fishing Mission stakeout and leaps to Hawkeye's defense when Gluttony attacks, cleverly biting the homunculus where it cannot reach him while dodging friendly fire. After Fuery notes how useful the dog's ability to sense homunculi is, Mustang awards Hayate an unofficial Second Lieutenant's rank, much to Fuery's chagrin at being outranked by a dog. The manga's epilogue shows him fully grown, pictured with a mate and three small puppies.