Horrifying Hounds and Terrifying Terriers
✯ The Reel Dogs of Horror ✯
In 1921 the first feature-lenghth Hound of the Baskervilles may have launched the deadly dog genre of the silver screen. There were likely already short films featuring killer dogs, mad dogs, ghost dogs, or other savage canines after human blood. Just as there have been tales of murderous dogs since earliest mythologies and folktales.
From the internationally famous like Cujo (1983) to the little-known and bizarre like Atomic Dog (1998), and from silent films to modern releases, movie dogs keep just as busy playing man’s worst enemy as best friend. Below are some notable canine horror films, trailers, and lists of horror, thriller, and related dog movies.
✯ Good Dogs Gone Bad: The Lawless Killers ✯
✯ Machines, Demons, Supernatural Beasts ✯
✯ Working for the Man: Dogs Trained to Kill ✯
✯ More Notable Mentions ✯
✯ Heroes of Horror ✯
There is a flip-side to the canine killer of the big screen: the dog who battles unspeakable evil rather than being unspeakable evil. Below are some highlights.
✯ Dogs in Horror Movies ✯
Below is a list of canine horror films in a variety of sub-genres and ranging from starring huge packs of dogs to only featuring a dog in a supporting role:
- The Amityville Horror (1979) with a mixed breed (Labrador Retriever/Pit Bull type)
- Atomic Dog (1998) with a white German Shepherd Dog and mixed breeds
- The Babadook (2014)
- Bad Moon (1996) with a German Shepherd Dog
- The Breed (2006) with Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherds, GSDs, and others
- Cujo (1983) with a Saint Bernard
- Dawn of the Dead (2004) with a Border Collie
- Day of the Animals AKA Something is Out There (1977) with GSDs
- Devil Dog (2007) with a GSD
- Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978) with a GSD and others
- Dogs AKA Slaughter (1976) with dozens of dogs, including Doberman, Irish Setter, GSD, and many others
- Dogs of Hell AKA Rottweiler: Dogs of Hell (1982) with Rottweilers
- Dog Soldiers (2002) with a Border Collie
- E tu vivrai nel terrore! L’aldilà AKA The Beyond (1981) with a GSD guide dog
- Halloween (1978) with a GSD and Doberman
- The Hills Have Eyes (1977) with GSDs
- The Hills Have Eyes (2006) with GSDs
- The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984) with GSDs
- The Hole (2009)
- The Killer Shrews (1959) with many dogs dressed up as giant shrews
- Lucky (2004) with a mixed breed
- Madhouse AKA And When She Was Bad (1981) with a Rottweiler
- Mama (2013) with a Dachshund
- Man’s Best Friend (1993) with a Tibetan Mastiff
- Night of the Wild (2016) with Bulldogs, Pit Bull Terriers, GSDs, Belgian Malinois, and many others
- Ôdishon AKA Audition (1999) with a Beagle
- The Omen (1976) with Rottweilers
- The Omen (2006) with Rottweilers
- Omen III: The Final Conflict AKA The Final Conflict (1981) with English Foxhounds and a Rottweiler
- The Pack (1977) with GSDs, mixed breeds, and others
- The Pack (2015)
- Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) with a GSD
- The People Under the Stairs (1991) with a Rottweiler
- Pet Sematary 2 (1989) with a mixed breed (Shepherd/Samoyed type)
- Play Dead (1983) with a Rottweiler
- Rottweiler (2004) with a Rottweiler as a machine
- To Kill a Clown (1972) with Doberman Pinschers
- Trapped AKA Doberman Patrol (1973) with Doberman Pinschers and GSDs
- Wilderness (2006) with GSDs
- Wolf Town (2011) with wolf-dog hybrids
- Zoltan: Hound of Dracula AKA Dracula’s Dog (1978) with a Doberman Pinscher, GSDs, and mixed breed
Not exactly “horror” films, but thrillers and other speculative and dark dog movies:
- The ABCs of Death (2012) with a mixed breed starring in one of the shorts (D is for Dogfight) in this anthology
- Alien 3 (1992) with a Rottweiler
- Amores Perros (2000) with Rottweilers, Pit Bull Terriers, and many others
- Baxter (1989) with a Bull Terrier
- The Beast with a Million Eyes (1955) with a GSD
- The Brain From the Planet Arous (1957) with a white GSD
- A Boy and His Dog (1975) with a mixed breed, a Labrador Retriever, and a West Highland White Terrier
- The Boys from Brazil (1978) with Doberman Pinschers
- Cerberus (2005) mostly CGI, also a Doberman
- Die Wand AKA The Wall (2012) with a Bavarian Mountain Hound
- Dogboys AKA Tracked (1998) with GSDs and others
- Embryo (1976) with a Doberman
- El Perro AKA A Dog Called…Vengeance (1979) with a GSD
- Frankenweenie (1984) with a Bull Terrier and Poodle
- Ha-wool-ling AKA Howling (2012) with a mixed breed (GSD/Husky type)
- Der Hund von Blackwood Castle AKA The Dog of Blackwood Castle (1968) with a Doberman and Maltese
- The Hound of the Baskervilles (1921, 1939, 1959, 2002, etc.) there have been over 20 filmed versions of the classic Sherlock Holmes tale
- I Am Legend (2007) with a GSD
- John Wick (2014) with a Beagle and a Pit Bull Terrier
- The Lazarus Effect (2015) with a mixed breed
- Los placeres ocultos AKA Playback (1989) with a Doberman
- The Lost Boys (1987) with an Alaskan Malamute and GSD
- Maa (1992) with a Labrador Retriever (chocolate)
- Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) with a Poodle and Doberman
- Mean Dog Blues (1979) with Dobermans
- Monster Dog (1984)
- Moon of the Wolf (1972) with hounds and a GSD
- Resident Evil (2002) with Doberman zombies
- The Road Warrior AKA Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) with an Australian Cattle Dog
- The Rogues’ Tavern (1936) with a GSD
- Sightseers (2012) with a Parson Russell Terrier
- They Only Kill Their Masters (1972) with a Doberman
- The Thing (1982) with Siberian Huskies and famed Jed, a Malamute/wolf mix
- Trois couleurs: Rouge AKA Three Colors: Red (1981) with a Belgian Malinois and her puppies
- The Voices (2014) with a Bullmastiff
- Watchers (1988) with a Golden Retriever
- Watchers II (1990) with a Golden Retriever
- Watchers 3 (1994) with a Golden Retriever
- Watchers Reborn (1998) with a Golden Retriever
- White Dog (1982) with a white GSD
- White God (2014) with mixed breeds, GSDs, Beaucerons, Pit Bull Terriers, and many others
- Without (2009) a short film with a Doberman Pinscher
- Zanna Bianca AKA White Fang (1973) with a GSD and sled dogs—an honerable mention with Lucio Fulci directing. (Technically a “family film”, along with the sequel, Il ritorno di Zanna Bianca AKA Challenge to White Fang (1974))
Find assorted horror screenshots in the Reel Dogs Galleries!