First of all, are you sure the dog is dead? Companions have a tendency to get stuck, or perhaps you told him to wait somewhere on accident - if that's the case, you should get a message saying something like "xxxx went home" after 3 days of waiting. Things you can try: [*]Return to the "home" of the dog, where it's supposed to be when not following you. (I know you mentioned Riften, if that's the place just disregard this). [*]Start a quest that requires a different computer-appointed companion to follow you; this will forcibly remove any current companion you currently have. The Silver Hand in the Companions Guild questline is an example. [*]Fast travel somewhere; if the dog is alive it should appear there with you. If not, it may reset the "following you" thing. ______ You should also consider creating an account here; it comes with several benefits and will also make it easier to post questions and answers. It's completely free!