Categories: PETS

Stephen King’s Cujo Was Inspired By A Real Dog Attack


According to Bev Vincent's “The Stephen King Ultimate Companion: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life and Influences,” “Cujo” literally sprung into King's life when a 200-pound Saint Bernard had a go at the author. King's run-in occurred in 1977 when he brought his motorcycle into a garage for repairs. He came in hoping for a no-fuss fix of his vehicle; he didn't bargain for an encounter with a ferocious furball named Bowser.

According to Vincent, King asked the mechanic if Bowser was a friendly dog. Upon being told Bowser wasn't the biting type, King went to pet the apparently docile beast. Within seconds, Bowser assaulted the author.

The mechanic quickly brought his socket wrench down on Bowser, thus sparing King from a hospital visit and the joy of a tetanus shot or worse. You'd think Bowser's owner would've been incredibly contrite (especially since King was a soon-to-be-paying customer), but upon pacifying his dog the mechanic fired back, “Bowser usually doesn't do this. He must not have liked your face.” (Seen above. You can decide for yourself if Bowser had a legit grievance.)

This incident seared itself into King's memory, and, four years later, inspired what currently stands (according to GoodReads and Amazon) as the writer's eighth most popular novel. I wouldn't say “Cujo” did exactly for big dogs what Peter Benchley's “Jaws” did for great white sharks (perhaps because, according to King, the film adaptation isn't a terribly effective adaptation), but that Saint Bernard is never far from my thoughts when I consider petting a pooch that could make a meal out of me.



Source link

Doggone Well Staff

Recent Posts

Scots dog owners urged to check for common danger in grass and it’s not ticks

This hidden hazard can seriously injure your dog and it grows throughout July, August and…

15 minutes ago

Dog trainer warns ‘correcting’ your pet’s bad behavior can causing huge mistake

Professional dog trainer Kerry has explained why pet owners should avoid 'correcting' their pet's bad…

1 hour ago

PET OF THE WEEK: Ducky | Featured

NAME: DuckyID#: 25-0154AGE: 6 yearsSEX: Female, spayedBREED: Shar PeiCOLOR: FawnWEIGHT: 65 poundsKnown health issues: NoneDucky…

2 hours ago

NexGard SPECTRA launches in Ja as all-in-one protection for dogs | Lifestyle

It is said that although dogs aren’t our whole life, they do make our lives…

3 hours ago

Auckland Council seeks stronger powers to tackle roaming dog crisis

Coulam criticises the council’s desexing pilot for not targeting the right communities and highlights that…

4 hours ago

Six dogs from Animal Rescue Cumbria ready for rehoming

Animal Rescue Cumbria and The Wainwright Shelter take in, rehabilitate and rehome 350 cats and…

4 hours ago