Just ahead of launching Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar has introduced Chop the Dog, your canine companion (Rottweiler) in the game.  Anyone who cannot wait a moment longer to play Grand Theft Auto V and has an iPhone or iPad, can now download Rockstar’s iFruity app from the iTunes store.

The app ties into the game through Rockstar’s Social Club. Meaning, training Chop the Dog in the app nets you new abilities for Chop in the full game, including the ability to find hidden items.

In the app, you can throw the ball around with Chop. Sometimes though, Chop brings back random finds from the surrounding neighborhood, such as a kilo of “product” or a “pencil holder.” Naturally, like any virtual pet, Chop has to be fed, watered, and kept happy.

Taking Chop on a walk opens up top-down style mini-games where you guide him into protecting his female dog companion in the park, or defending your ride in the middle of the street from thugs. But the easiest, and thereby most fun, mini-game… is to have Chop remove as many bikinis on the beach as possible.

You can also buy collars for Chop and teach him tricks, both of which will show up in the console game once you have the Rockstar Social Club linked.

Note: For those who are, for whatever reason, playing on the PS3 or 360, there is an option in the settings to switch and select platforms.

Those disinterested in Chop’s little big dog life can still find some solace in the iFruity’s Los Santos Customs feature. As you can see below, I have crafted a “ROAD HOUS” vanity plate to match my newly modified vehicle. There were some charges listed — linked, in theory, to in-game GTA V credits — but when the total came up, the app said that the first customized car and license plate charges were comped. Too bad most of the upgrades were locked. I’ll have to come back once I’ve made some progress in GTA V and get a bigger engine and such.

Don’t own an iOS device? Rockstar has promised the free app will soon be heading to Android devices, Windows Phone, and even the PC/Mac platforms. Oh, and at some point today, Rockstar is going to put the entire GTA V 100-plus page manual on the iOS store.

Now to go see how Chop is doing…

Meet <i>Grand Theft Auto V</i>‘s Chop the Dog

If you’ve been locked in a shed for and are just getting around to checking out the Internet tubes as of late, you will be delighted to watch Rockstar’s GTA V gameplay trailer that’s nearly five minutes long. Before you venture down below, be sure to watch the full trailer and marvel in the glorious return of the Grand Theft Auto universe.

It’s especially cool for anyone who’s spent time living or visiting Los Angeles, as much of the game’s landscape is based off that area and Southern California in general. If you haven’t preordered yet, be sure to hit up Amazon for the Xbox 360 version or PlayStation 3 version prior to the September 17 launch date.

After watching the trailer far too many times to count, we’ve come up with the top 30 activities we can’t wait to do when we get our hands on GTA V. Enjoy!

Taking Hostages Dark Knight-style while saying “I’m Batman!” in a Raspy Voice

 Robbing the Chicken Festival With Hillbilly Karl Rove

Chatting on the Phone using Bluetooth During a Firefight

Spending Obscene Amounts of Money at Ponsonbys, Then Robbing the Store

Figuring Out How To Steal This Blimp

Beating This Guy With His Own Inflammatory Sign

Seeing If Incredibly Sharp Turns Will Eject Jet-Ski Passengers

Taking Homeless People Hostage and Relocating Them to Ponsonbys

Reenacting Scenes from The Sopranos

Seeing If This Dog Wants to Be My Partner in Crime

Going on Long Bike Rides around fake Southern California

Becoming a Huge Success or Failure at Day Trading

Spending Time Planning Intricate Heists

Getting in a Few Sets of Tennis In After a Long Day of Crime

Figuring Out What the Heck Could Possibly Be In That Shed!

Firing Shots at the Cars Below Rather Than Backing Up My Partner

Cliff Diving Like a Boss off the Top of That Shed

Watching Television for Hours, Just Because I Can

Shooting the Guy Who’s About to Shoot Bambi

Getting That Smiley Face Tattoo on Every Part of My Body

Figuring Out If This Tanker Is Carrying Explosive Fuel, Perhaps Using an RPG

No Caption Needed…

Instigating Fights Between These Ridiculous Characters

Becoming Fake Southern California’s Next Real Estate Mogul

Getting My Scuba On

Seeing if I can Find the Skate Park at Fake Venice Beach

Taking a Lovely Drive Through the Countryside with Five Stars

Avoiding Situations that Require Gross Body Disposals

Always Taking the Smart Route When Pulling off a Heist

ENDLESS HOURS OF GTA V ONLINE

30 Things We Can’t Wait to Do in GTA V