No, they don't, a dog box uses one gear to engage the next. Gears have elongated holes on one side and legs that protrude from the other side, they call them dogs, thus the "DOG" box. When you push the lever, it moves the first gear to go meet the second, the dogs slides in the holes and lock the second gear on the shaft. Push the lever again and it moves the second gear to go meet the third... You don't NEED to use the clutch, only slightly lift the throttle but, if you're gonna drive this in town, you might want to use the clutch anyways cause, if you don't, every shift will sound like the worst shift in history and you'll look like an AS* for having a $8000 gearbox.