The number 1 rule in writing a novel is

[leftyladyfrommo]

Don't ever kill the dog. Kill off all the people you want but never kill the dog.

[Shermann]

1. You can, but it has to be very respectful and dramatic.

This was handled well in Cujo. Cavalier dog murder is definitely unpalatable.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

27. Handled well in Cujo?

He was a rabid St. Bernard and killed several people before trapping and terrorizing Dee Wallace and her son in their broken down car for days.



PS. The book was worse.

[Shermann]

31. The point is that the killing of the dog wasn't gratuitous or senseless or for sport.

You can only kill adult people that way in the movies and still be entertaining.

The OP is on to something.

[Srkdqltr]

2. You would think someone along the way would have said "leave the dog kill out"

Although... she has doubled down and made it monumently worse.

Good for her. Never liked her anyway.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. In the movie, "The Bells of St. Mary's," there's a scene where a rich miser

finds God and a little dog. He suddenly decides to make a huge donation to The Church and crosses the street to make arrangements. You hear the screech of brakes and your heart stops. The former miser is okay. But what about the dog???? The dog is okay!!

You don't kill the dog. They got away with it with Old Yeller and Cujo because they were converted killers.

[AllaN01Bear]

6. that one made me cry.

[no_hypocrisy]

8. And "The Wizard of Oz". You're destroyed watching Uncle Henry

take Toto out of the arms of Dorothy to give to Miss Gulch, knowing that maybe SHE will kill the little dog.

As far as I was concerned, the movie stopped there. (I know, I know. The aunt and the uncle had to choose between keeping their farm and keeping Toto. But to a child, they were accessories to murder.)

[MorbidButterflyTat]

28. Toto wasn't murdered

He escapes from the basket and runs back home to Dorothy about two minutes after Miss Gulch bikes away with him.

[no_hypocrisy]

30. It's the prospect of murder.

The fact Toto escapes didn’t erase the cruelty.

[happybird]

4. Where the Red Fern Grows

destroyed me in elementary school. Probably still would, but too scared to read it again.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. I never read that. I was afraid to. nt

[AllaN01Bear]

5. tee hee.

[SarahD]

7. Except for dog stories. The dog has to die in the end.

But you're right. Don't kill the dog yourself. Have it die of old age or something. Maybe after a courageous battle fighting off wolves that tried to kill the baby. Something like that. For God's sake, don't drag it to a gravel pit and shoot it. I saw Old Yeller when I was four years old, and I'm still angry.

[leftyladyfrommo]

10. Old Yeller and Bambi. nt

[Mme. Defarge]

11. Beat me to the

Old Yeller mention.

[Irish_Dem]

12. She is either tone deaf or didn't care.

She either has no idea how this would play to the public.
Or she knew and it didn't matter, she was trying to impress Trump with her violence.

[ShazzieB]

13. I vote for the first option.

She had no idea how it would play to the public.

I'm convinced she really is that stupid.

[Irish_Dem]

14. Narcissists do not realize how they come across to others.

They think they are perfect and brilliant.
And that others will see only that.

[womanofthehills]

23. Probably not the first dog she killed

A few yrs ago, a Republican woman of my exercise class, came to class & nonchalantly told us her husband just shot their dog because he killed a chicken. It’s common out here. She probably grew up with animals being shot. My dog killed one of my chickens and two men out here told me to shoot my dog. Chickens can be escape artists & get out of their runs. Happy to report my dog is alive, well fed and sleeping on my bed.

The next yr , her husband, the dog killer, went to jail for 2 yrs for sexually abusing their handicapped adult child.

Two psychopaths - she stayed with him after he got out of jail.

[surfered]

15. In film and TV, Lassie made it from 1943 till today.

Spoiler alert: the same dog that portrayed Lassie could not have played all those roles. But they never killed her off. You always believed there was only one Lassie.

[Richard D]

16. At any given time . . .

. . . there were many dogs that played Lassi. Each had their specialty.

[frogmarch]

17. After Turner and Hooch, Tom Hanks said

the reason the movie wasn't a bigger hit was because the dog died. He said he'd tried to tell the producers not to kill the dog, but they did.

[birdographer]

18. Ha! Came here to say the same thing!

"Never kill the dog" became his movie motto! I count on that for a lot of movies by other people.

[PlutosHeart]

19. I refuse to watch or read anything

where an animal dies. Period.

[Not Heidi]

25. In that case, PlutosHeart . . .

. . . do not read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Just don't.

[OldBaldy1701E]

20. Weelllllll.... there is 'Cujo'. (n/t)

[petronius]

21. John Wick approves this message...

[flying rabbit]

22. That's where I was going to go

[k55f5r]

24. Got to agree with you-

Will Smith's redo of the Omega Man was a great movie until the dog died. That ruined the whole movie for me.

[bucolic_frolic]

26. LOL. Really, you want to alienate potential readers, write unpopular things

The prolific authors Rowling and King both pitch to multiple, wide demographics. It's strategy, and a sound one.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

29. In horror movies,

if there's a pet, it will be killed. Cat, dog, bunny (Fatal Attraction), etc. It's so predictable and lazy, IMO.

Except in, "The Lost Boys," Nanook not only survives but (spoiler) becomes a hero! Also he's beautiful.