History Main / BewareOfViciousDog

* ''WesternAnimation/Fear(s)OfTheDark'' has, in between the stories and the second wrap around of a mysterious narrator lost of her anxieties, a grisly man with several vicious dogs, each one he lets loose on hapless victims from a child, to a woman, til ultimately one dog is left and it turns on him, ripping him to pieces.

* ''WesternAnimation/Fear(s)OfTheDark'' has in between the stories, a grisly man with several vicious dogs, each one he lets loose on hapless victims from a child, to a woman, til ultimately one dog is left and it turns on him, ripping him to pieces.

DogsAreDumb, right? You're wrong on this one.

This type of dog is ''not'' a {{Hellhound}}, but is a rather normal and standard dog aside from his viciousness. He CAN be [[KickTheDog kicked]], but 9 times out of 10 FailureIsTheOnlyOption where that is concerned. Indeed, kicking him [[KickTheSonOfABitch successfully will often make you look reasonable]].

* ''Film/WhiteDog'' is about a dog trained to attack and kill black people on sight. Despite steps being taken to remove the dog's viciousness, it only results in the dog turning on white people instead.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* TruthInTelevision where dogs who are trained and bred to fight are concerned. Rottweilers in particular have gotten a bad reputation for being vicious because of this, despite not having any more inclination towards aggressiveness than any other breed.
* In other cases, it's just a case of irresponsible owners who [[NeverMyFault never claim responsibility for their dog's indiscriminate hostility]].
* [[TheMafia Many]] [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs of]] [[TheMafiya the]] [[{{Yakuza}} notorious]] [[KosherNostra international]] [[TheCartel criminal]] [[TheSyndicate organizations]] tend to have their dogs trained and bred to fight and attack outside strangers and maul their enemies as part of their routine, making this trope even more noticed when you encounter any mobster carrying a dog. That's not to say, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes even the most dangerous dogs have the strongest]] UndyingLoyalty to the mobsters and especially the mob boss, given that [[ScoundrelCode they are humans themselves and dogs are their best friends, even the savage ones]].
[[/folder]]

* The Runaway Dogs from ''Videogame/EarthBound'' will attack anyone who stands on their way, even defenseless children. On the other hand, once you've gotten enough levels, you can [[ShootTheDog boot them all you want as revenge]] [[OneHitKill and put them down in one shot at that]].

[[folder: Fanfiction]]

* The 2006 horror movie ''Film/TheBreed'' has the protagonists being stalked by a group of dogs that embody this trope.

NOT [[SavageWolves a savage wolf]], though given his SuperPersistentPredator temperament, he may as well be.

The trope takes its name from the frequent signs on the front of homeowners' gates, usually reading simply "Beware Of Dog," that warn visitors about the potential badness of the resident pooch. Incidentally, if you put up one of these signs, be warned - this will ''not'' reduce your risk of getting sued if the dog attacks someone. In fact, it ''weakens'' your legal defense, since the sign proves you know the dog is dangerous.

* Gru's... dog?.. thing from ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'', who strikes fear in everyone, even its master. That is until Agnes comes along.

* "The Beast," the giant Mastiff dog in ''Film/TheSandlot,'' who terrorizes the land next door to the titular sandlot where the kids play baseball, to the point that he's become something of a legend and the kids have to take great care not to knock their baseballs over the fence to where he is; getting back a Babe Ruth-signed ball drives the second half of the movie. [[spoiler:Subverted--he turns out to be a GentleGiant once the kids get to know him.]]

--> '''Jamal''': I believe in free will. If my dog wishes to hate everyone in the world but myself, it is free to do so.

--> '''Shadow:''' Leave us. The dog eats strangers...
* Angry dogs are among the obstacles you must run away from in ''VideoGame/{{Inside}}''. If you see or hear one, ''run the hell away'', because they are fast, persistent, and want you dead. And since the player character is a defenseless little boy, you have no choice but to run away and avoid them. You end up torn to bits if you are too slow. They come in either solo or in groups of three.

--> --'''Sign found on a Roman house''', proving that this trope is OlderThanFeudalism

* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' had (of all breeds) an unusually aggressive French Bulldog in one episode that Chloe and Ice Bear had to go through to retrieve the former’s sweater.

* In ‘’WesternAnimation/FraidyCat'', '''NO''' dog is kind to Fraidy. Nearly every single dog Fraidy encountered was either rude or psychotic. The only one who was even close to being nice was Meaney the junkyard dog.

* In ‘’WesternAnimation/FraidyCat'', '''NO''' dog is kind to Fraidy. Nearl every single dog Fraidy encountered was either rude or psychotic. The only one who was even ''close'' to being nice was Meaney the junkyard dog.

* Parodied in ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'', where a shifty individual peers from behind a tree at an approaching salesman in a yard bearing the sign "Beware of Doug."

* Reggie from ''WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTrampIIScampsAdventure''. He's a stray dog with a [[NonStandardCharacterDesign monstrous appearance that heavily stands out from the rest of the dog cast]] who comes close to killing Scamp twice.

* The poodle in ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary.'' PlayedForLaughs.
* "The Beast," the giant Mastiff dog in ''Film/TheSandlot,'' who terrorizes the land next door to the titular sandlot where the kids play baseball, to the point that he's become something of a legend and the kids have to take great care not to knock their baseballs over the fence to where he is; getting back a Babe Ruth-signed ball drives the second half of the movie. [[spoiler:Subverted--he turns out to be a GentleGiant once the kids get to know him.]]
* The sled-dog Demon in ''Film/SnowDogs'' behaves this way [[spoiler:due to a sore tooth]].

* The 2006 horror movie ''Film/TheBreed'' has the protagonists being stalked by a group of dogs that embody this trope.

* The 2015 horror film ''Film/NightOfTheWild'' is about dogs in a peaceful town being affected by a strange green meteor that makes them BrainwashedAndCrazy. Led by a wolf-like dog, they all start turning on their human owners, and it's hinted in the DownerEnding that the meteor has affected other towns and dogs too.
* In ''Literature/TheLittleStranger'', the female lead's BigFriendlyDog Gyp unexpectedly mauling a child is the first indication that the house harbors some evil spirits.

* In Creator/DianaWynneJones's ''Literature/{{Castle in the Air}}'', Jamal's dog is like this.
--> '''Jamal''': I believe in free will. If my dog wishes to hate everyone in the world but myself, it is free to do so.

* In ''Literature/MenAtArms'', Angua (a werewolf) and Gaspode (a TalkingAnimal) encounter the Dogs' Guild, a pack of angry dogs led by Big Fido, a vicious poodle. He likes to think of dogs as SavageWolves who need to rise up against humanity; Angua, who has actually ''met'' wolves, comments on how wrong he is about them.

* ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'': As a RunningGag Les had a bandage somewhere on his person in every episode. (This stemmed from [[RealLifeWritesThePlot actor Richard Saunders having a cut on pilot taping day]].) Eventually we learn that he has a vicious dog at home.

* The "overly aggressive to the owner's detriment" sort of dog is a constant feature Victoria Stillwell's dog-training program ''Series/ItsMeOrTheDog''.

* Shadow's dog Interceptor in ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVI,'' only being obedient to Shadow himself [[spoiler:and nice to Relm on their first meeting]].
--> '''Shadow:''' Leave us. The dog eats strangers...
* The Runaway Dogs from ''Videogame/EarthBound'' will attack anyone who stands on their way, even defenseless children. On the other hand, once you've gotten enough levels, you can [[ShootTheDog boot them all you want as revenge]] [[OneHitKill and put them down in one shot at that]].
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', Wrex comments that if Tuchanka has a temper, its name is '''[[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Kalros]]''', The Mother of All Thresher-Maws.

* The Big Top level in ''VideoGame/{{CarnEvil}}'' has undead feral poodles wearing clown collars.
* Angry dogs are among the obstacles you must run away from in ''VideoGame/{{Inside}}''. If you see or hear one, ''run the hell away'', because they are fast, persistent, and want you dead. And since the player character is a defenseless little boy, you have no choice but to run away and avoid them. You end up torn to bits if you are too slow. They come in either solo or in groups of three.

* Gru's... dog?.. thing from ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'', who strikes fear in everyone, even its master. That is until Agnes comes along.

* The first episode of ''WesternAnimation/BooBoomTheLongWayHome'' a pack of really mean street dogs attack the protagonists, forcing Boldsteed, Christopher, and Aurelia to fight them off.

* TruthInTelevision where dogs who are trained and bred to fight are concerned. Rottweilers in particular have gotten a bad reputation for being vicious because of this despite not having any more inclination towards aggressiveness than any other breed.

* ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' has feral mongrels that behave a bit like a wolf pack, coming at you many at a time. Same goes for the raiders' dogs and the super mutants' mutant hounds, which send bone-chilling howls down your spine once they notice you.

* The 1977 film ''The Pack'' is about a group of dogs that behaves this way.
* The 2006 horror movie ''The Breed'' has the protagonists being stalked by a group of dogs that embody this trope.

* TruthInTelevision where dogs who are trained and bred to fight are concerned. Rottweilers in particular have gotten a bad reputation for being vicious because of this.