8 Movies Where the Dog Doesn't Die
Dogs really are man’s best friend. They provide warmth, companionship, hours of entertainment, and are just some of the cutest things on the planet. This may be coming from someone who adores dogs, but in the battle between dogs and cats, I will always choose dogs. In fact, people love dogs so much that they will go out of their way to avoid movies where dogs die. That’s the entire point of sites like doesthedogdie.com, which provides viewers with trigger warnings about numerous upsetting topics, most notably, if a dog dies in a movie.
With Good Boy (2025) having just dropped on streaming, and with some viewers curious about the fate of its leading dog, Indy, we’re going to look at eight famous movies that heavily feature dogs but don’t kill them. These films may put their characters through the wringer, but the dogs all make it through without any notable harm. So, if you want to watch some dog movies on Disney+ and HBO Max, rest assured that the dog doesn’t die here.
When Good Boy revealed itself as a horror movie from a dog’s perspective, one of the first questions on people’s minds was whether its lead, Indy, was going to be killed. Well, rest easy. Not only does Indy live, but he does everything in his power to try and save the day.
Good Boy is an experimental 73-minute horror film that plays with its perspective much in the same way that Presence (2025) does. Instead of the film centering on a human character, it is told entirely from Indy’s perspective, and it never undermines the premise by having Indy speak or having the audience hear his thoughts. It’s all clever editing and thoughtful cinematography. While there is another dog that appears in the movie who does die, it’s done off-screen and happens primarily via flashback, so while Good Boy may not be perfect if you don’t want to see any harm come to a dog, it is great for anyone looking for an unconventional and unique horror film.
If a dog appears in a monster movie, then nine times out of ten, the monster will kill it. Nothing shows how callous a monster is than when it murders an innocent dog. The Meg, however, bucks that trend.
The movie itself is a ridiculous Jason Statham action vehicle, so if you’ve ever seen him kick butt in The Beekeeper (2024) or Wrath of Man (2021), then the same is true here, just with giant sharks. There’s no getting around the fact that the movie is dumb, hilariously so, and it drives home just how stupid it is by having one of the shark’s first victims be a cute little dog named Pippin. Or at least that’s what The Meg makes you think. Even though all evidence points to the tiny little dog being swallowed by a gargantuan shark, somehow, against all odds, Pippin is okay! Does it make sense? No, but it’s a triumphant note to end on that’s perfect for a cheesy action movie like The Meg.
You would think that a movie starring one of the cinema’s most prolific dog killers would feature at least one or two dead dogs, but Cruella surprisingly doesn’t. Cruella de Vil may not like Dalmations all that much, but Emma Stone’s version of the character wouldn’t kill them.
That’s because Cruella is less interested in showing Cruella de Vil as a psychopathic dog killer and more of a morally complex human. Cruella takes a lot of the same cues from Maleficent (2014) in attempting to empathize with its central character, just with the style and flair of emo rock. That may seem like an odd way to present what is normally a posh and stuck-up villainess, but giving her an angsty and anarchic air about her that feels more at home in a Hot Topic helps to set the movie apart from its contemporaries. It’s odd to see a Disney film with a bit of an edge to it, but if you’re looking for one that isn’t as squeaky clean as the company’s image, then consider giving Cruella a shot.
A lot of bad things happen to a lot of animals in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The pain and suffering that the creatures under the High Evolutionary’s control go through is heartbreaking, but at the very least, Cosmo the Dog isn’t one of his victims.
Cosmo only features heavily in the scenes that take place in Knowhere, and when we are there, she’s adorable! She’s heartbroken over not being a good girl, and the comedy that comes from that is so pure that it can put a smile on anyone’s face. It’s especially necessary given the very dark places the film goes to make the High Evolutionary one of the most vile antagonists in fiction, right alongside the cartoonishly despicable villains of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012). It only makes it all the more satisfying when he receives his comeuppance, which is so well deserved that it’ll leave you cheering. Even though Cosmo doesn’t personally assist in taking him down, seeing her save the day truly does make her a good girl.
It’s no secret that John Wick’s path of vengeance kicks off with the death of his dog. Anyone who knows anything about the series knows that. However, what you may not know is that in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, the dogs get their revenge.
While the action in the film is top-notch, right alongside other intense action movies like The Raid (2012), the film’s best scene is where dogs brutally attack John’s assailants. At first, seeing Halle Berry’s dog getting shot will instantly bring back memories of the death of John’s dog, until it gets back up, and all hell breaks loose. It’s one of the very few films where you’re excited to see a rabid attack dog do its job, as it bounds around and charges at its target. It’s the peak of an already great two-hour and ten-minute action movie, and it’s so vindictive to see a dog go on a rampage. Not many dogs star in action movies, but John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is for those who want some canine carnage.
The Silence of the Lambs is a dark movie, mostly thanks to the disturbing nature of its main antagonist, Buffalo Bill. But when you stop to think about it, can he be all that bad? I mean, he has a cute little dog named Precious after all!
While the presence of Precious may seem odd in a movie as bleak as The Silence of the Lambs, she helps inform the themes present within the character. Precious adds some interesting subtext about Bill’s gender orientation. She is a Bichon Frise, which is usually a dog associated with femininity, which befits the character and his disturbed desires to create a woman suit made of skin. It’s some fascinating subtext, even if The Silence of the Lambs drops the ball somewhat with its depiction of sexual orientation and gender identity, but much like Psycho (1960), that doesn’t stop the film from being one of the best psychological horror movies of all time. And the best part? Precious survives the climax and escapes with Clarice.
Before Superman was released, people were probably indifferent toward Krypto the Superdog. But by the time the credits rolled after two hours and nine minutes, it’ll be hard to fathom why anyone would hate him. Is he wild and uncontrollable? Yes, but that adds to his charm. From the moment the film begins, and we see him playing with a barely breathing Superman, we know that Krypto is just a good boy who wants to have fun.
Krypto captures the same energy as Buddy from Air Bud (1990). Krypto shouldn’t be capable of the things he’s accomplishing, but he is, and it’s impossible not to feel uplifted by it. Superman prioritizes optimism above all else, and Krypto is emblematic of that. People who want to smile should definitely check out Superman and can rest easy knowing that Krypto survives Lex Luthor’s onslaught. Here’s hoping he survives Supergirl (2026).
A movie about the ever-shifting state of 1960s Los Angeles shouldn’t make you question whether or not a dog would live or die, but when the Manson family is involved, you never can be too safe. Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood goes through similar motions as other Hollywood epics like Babylon (2022) and Barton Fink (1991), but what helps set it apart is the too-cool-for-school Cliff Booth and his pit bull Brandy. The two of them seem to be above everything that’s happening in the film, even when the Manson family comes knocking. At the very least, Brandy is there to viciously take them down.
It’s a great note for the movie to end on, with everything that the film meticulously crafted over its two hours and 40-minute runtime finally coming to fruition. It’s a slow burn, but like most other Quentin Tarantino movies, it all comes together wonderfully, and Brandy gives the Manson family what they deserve and lives to see another day.
