Why was Cujo a St Bernard?

[SnotRags]

DH thinks it’s odd that Stephen king chose such a good natured breed to play Cujo when he could’ve gone for something more stereotypical like a Rottweiler or Dobermann.

I personally think this was done on purpose, he wanted to show that the aggression was down to the sickness rather than the stereotypical “Oman” type dog.

What do you reckon? (Just a bit of fun)

Agree. They are seen as nanny dogs (Peter Pan etc), but they are also very big animals. I've no doubt an enraged and rabid dog that size could do huge damage.

It would be for effect.

As you've said, a "scary" dog being scary is expected.

I agree with you OP- the whole point was he was a nice family dog , it wouldn’t have worked if the dog had been a typically ‘aggressive’ type dog.

A lot of Stephen Kings stuff is very nice normal town and people then with something awful thrown in the mix , I think it works well, his stories give you that creepy what if … That comes on in the quiet hours

Yes, it’s because Cujo before he was infected was a big old softy. Long time since I read it but part of the shock the main characters feel is because he was so docile before. When King wrote it, rabies was a massive deal and quite a threat, so fit the Nature Turns On People brief very well.
He returned to that theme with Pet Sematary, but the thing that turned those animals into a threat was supernatural.

Posted too soon.

The more mundane something is, the scarier it is when something "unexpected" or unusual happens.

He also needed to be a very physically big dog iirc to be a credible threat to them in the car (enough mass to damage windows etc)?

Agree its more shocking to have a generally gentle dog turn evil, like the evil little girl which is so popular in horror stories.

Tbh I always consider the mh of SK before any of his characters!!

Fun fact: when they were making the film, the various St Bernards playing Cujo had to have their tails tied down because they were having so much fun and kept wagging like the clappers when they were meant to be looking ferocious I love that.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

Fun fact: when they were making the film, the various St Bernards playing Cujo had to have their tails tied down because they were having so much fun and kept wagging like the clappers when they were meant to be looking ferocious I love that.

That's lovely!

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

Fun fact: when they were making the film, the various St Bernards playing Cujo had to have their tails tied down because they were having so much fun and kept wagging like the clappers when they were meant to be looking ferocious I love that.

Um... he says it’s because a St. Bernard tried to bite him at his mechanics...

@SilverHairedCat

Agree. They are seen as nanny dogs (Peter Pan etc), but they are also very big animals. I've no doubt an enraged and rabid dog that size could do huge damage.

It would be for effect.

She’s a Newfoundland in Peter Pan