Haley (Kaya Scoledario) and Dave (Barry Pepper) may have been fighting for their lives against a congregation of alligators and a Category 5 hurricane in this summer’s Crawl, but it was the fate of their dog Sugar that audiences were most concerned about. Luckily, Haley and Dave never forgot the loyal pup in the chaos, allowing Sugar to survive until the end.
But let’s face it: a dog’s loyalty to man often gets them killed in horror movies, and it’s a major bummer. It’s not just horror either; there’s a reason why doesthedogdie.com exists.
The furry little companions steal our hearts, and often the spotlight in film. The trusting eyes, the cute faces, and the boundless dedication to their human friends often make dogs into horror heroes. So, in honor of man’s best friend, we’re celebrating the best pups that horror has to offer for National Dog Day today.
A caveat: there are countless great dogs in horror, but this list is dedicated to the pups that were allowed – like in Crawl – to survive through the end credits. More of that, please.
Tucker and Dale vs Evil – Jangers
Tucker and Dale get all the attention for successfully thwarting the crazy college kids that decide to off themselves all over their property, but there’s one hillbilly that keeps his cool the entire time; Jangers. Jangers doesn’t even seem phased when lead college kid Chad threatens to shoot him. This calm pup is such a good boy, he deserves all the chili dogs.
A Boy and His Dog – Blood
Teenager Vic wanders the post-apocalyptic wasteland that was once the U.S., trying to survive its dangerous conditions. Luckily, he has his telepathic dog Blood to help him. Blood is the brains of the pair; Vic was orphaned young and has no concept of education or morality. But because he’s been gifted with telepathy and higher learning, Blood is unable to fend for himself. Thus, A Boy and His Dog is about one twisted codependent relationship, with Vic often committing horrible acts along their journey. It’s a refreshing update to make the dog the smarter one, and even better is that Vic gives his furry companion higher ranking than anyone else.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan – Toby
Add one more reason to why Jason Voorhees is one of horror’s most iconic; he’s a dog lover. Or at least, we can assume he is. When final girl Rennie brings her Border Collie, Toby, along for the class trip to Manhattan, they get separated a few times in the pandemonium of Voorhees’ slaughter. But Border Collies are smart pups, and Voorhees only has human vengeance on his mind. So, Toby easily survives until the end of the movie.
The Amityville Horror – Harry
Often in horror, pets are the first to cue in that something is supernaturally amiss. Enter the Lutz family pet, Harry. Not only does Harry sense something off with the house, but he obsesses over the very source from which it seems to stem; a secret room in the basement. Harry even saves George from that secret room, dragging him out of the sludge. Luckily, George saves him right back, ensuring both Harry and the family successfully flee that house. In the 2005 remake, poor Harry becomes a heart-wrenching victim to illustrate how far under the house’s sway George has fallen. We much prefer the dog’s fate in the original film and novel.
Dawn of the Dead (2004) – Chips
Chips shows up about halfway through this remake, when he’s found having survived on his own in an underground garage. Eventually, the group figures out why; the zombies have zero interest in devouring a dog. They use Chips to deliver supplies to their isolated friend across the parking lot, though it leads to nail-biting disaster. Even still, knowing that the zombies aren’t interested in Chips means we can breathe a sigh of relief on his behalf. He survives through the end of the film, and when things look dicey for the survivors in a mid-credits scene, we know Chips will at least outlast them all.
The Silence of the Lambs – Precious
Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb might be a cold-hearted serial killer with a penchant for making skin suits, but at least he has a soft spot for his Bichon Frise, Precious. He’s beside himself when his latest victim, Catherine, has successfully lured Precious down into the well with her. Poor Precious might have broken a bone on her tumble down, but she outlives her owner. In the novel, one of the first responders to the scene winds up taking Precious home to his kids.
Gremlins – Barney
The irony in Gremlins is that it’s essentially a “boy and his dog” story that’s referring to Billy Peltzer and Gizmo, a Mogwai. But Billy already had a dog prior to receiving his new pet, and a good one, too. Poor Barney deserved better. Barney is a good judge of character, as evidenced by his reaction to the mean Mrs. Deagle or his warm reception of Gizmo, and he (along with Gizmo) knew the new Gremlins were bad from the start. Even when those Gremlins strung him up in Christmas lights, he remained a steadfast and loyal pup to the Peltzer family.
The Lost Boys – Nanook
A strong case could be made that Sam’s dog, Nanook, is the MVP vampire slayer of the movie. The good boy never leaves Sam’s side, at least not when he’s home, and he attacked older brother Michael for nearly giving in to his new vampiric thirst. That alone would be enough to earn Nanook a spot, but then he takes it a step further by killing one of the vampires- saving the Frog brothers in the process- during the third act. We all wanted a Nanook after seeing The Lost Boys.
The Hills Have Eyes – Beast
Whether you opt for Wes Craven’s 1977 original, or Alexandre Aja’s 2006 remake, Beast remains a champ either way. The Carter family began their journey with a pair of German Shepherds, Beauty and Beast, but the gentle Beauty was the first to fall at the hands of the mutant family. It’s a move Beast made sure the mutant family comes to regret. In the harrowing fight for survival, it’s Beast that’s the biggest asset as he viciously attacks enemies, mauling a couple mutants to death. Beast didn’t just successfully avenge his counterpart, but he helped the remaining Carter family members survive to the end credits. He’s not just a good boy, he’s the best.
Bad Moon – Thor
This werewolf tale is, essentially, a dog’s tale. Based on a novel that tells this story from the family pet’s perspective, the adaptation isn’t quite able to replicate that. But it does successfully prove what a hero Thor is to his human boy Brett and Brett’s mom Janet. After surviving a vicious werewolf attack in Nepal, Brett’s Uncle Ted returns to Seattle to settle down. Thor immediately knows what’s up with Uncle Ted, and spends the rest of the movie trying to protect his family, even through injuries and Ted’s successful framing of the pooch. Thor is the star of this story by far, and comes through for his family even when all odds are stacked against him. Give Thor all the treats.
