The Doggei were always great explorers. Some eight hundred years ago, the first Doggeid vessels left their home star system and began their saga of galactic exploration. But they were never interested in meeting new species or discovering amazing lifeforms: rather, they were always concerned with expanding the boundaries of knowledge. Their colonies began as unambitious research stations, their war fleets as squadrons of science vessels, and their colonists as doctors and scientists. The passage of the centuries expanded the scope of Doggeid ambitions, but they never extended their hand towards conquest or even contact.

They passed the long centuries in splendid isolation. They were alerted to the presense of extrasolar life when receiving a Captab transmission sent out exactly for that purpose: to find other intelligent species in the galaxy and encourage them to make contact of their own. But, after extensive debate, the Doggei opted to remain in isolation, viewing the other species as mere nuisances best avoided. The centuries passed and the Doggeid learned of the Twis'rin and the Balorim as well, but they never roused themselves. On the contrary, as they learned of the other species they also learned how best to avoid them, and the Doggei were able to maintain their solitude in the face of the other expanding species.

As with almost everything else in the galaxy, however, this isolation changed with the beginning of the Galactic War. The Doggei had long been aware of the Twis'rin's expansionist ambitions but had refused to even attempt action against it, believing themselves the proverbial mouse sleeping next to the elephant. But the intelligence that the Balorim were successfully fighting the Twis'rin changed the situation: this, the Doggei realised, may be their best chance to quell the Twis'rin threat before it had affected them. Anonymous help came into the Balorim sectors, from strategic information to actual military supplies. None of these were on manned vessels and none of these were identified as belonging to the Doggei: after all, none of the other species even knew the Doggei existed.

This helped the cause, but only slightly. Eventually, the Doggei realised that some sort of dialogue would be needed, and they formally introduced themselves to the Balorim and the Captab. Intelligence corps got together for high-level discussions, and a more formal arrangement of supply was agreed upon. The Doggei still held back from committing themselves militarily: while it was no real trick to send a few generals and admirals or to provide extra war goods, actually manning fleets for direct war would require the commitment of every Doggeid citizen.

The Doggei eventually received an offer too good to refuse. The Twis'rin had developed faster-than-light travel and the Balorim had managed to steal the secrets. The Balorim presented their allies with a simple proposition: join the fight militarily and receive probably the most important technology of the spacefaring age. Refuse, and risk the Twis'rin coming after you once they're done with us, and coming after you too quickly to be stopped.

The Doggei, like the Captab, accepted the offer and committed fully to the war. The Doggeid population was mobilised and their war fleets were dispatched to Twis'rin space, joining in the great, bloody battles of the last years of the Galactic War. The isolationist Doggei were thrown furiously into the maelstrom of galactic warfare and suffered for it: they lost two colonies to the orbital guns of Twis'rin cruisers before checking the tide, and when the war ended the Doggei got nothing out of the peace settlement besides peace itself.

Worse, their isolationist tendancies were gone forever. At first, they tried to withdraw from galactic affairs once again, but this was in vain. During the war the Doggei had become more and more reliant on foreign trade with each passing year and simply pulling out was impossible. Meanwhile, the new world of faster-than-light travel had brought the species together in ways they never had been before. Gradually, begrudgingly, the Doggei allowed themselves to remain in the light, extending diplomatic relations to both former friends and former enemies. And they remained as part of galactic civilization, even if they were seldom happy about it.