He was a male St. Bernard dog owned by the Camber Family. Cujo was once a friendly and playful companion, but when he contracted rabies from a bat bite, he went insane and was turned into a vicious killer. Due to the severity of the infection in his brain, he slaughtered anyone that came near him. Cujo killed multiple people before he was brutalized and killed by an enraged Donna Trenton.
Cujo, a male St. Bernard, was a friendly pet owned by the Camber Family. However, after a bat bite gave him rabies, he transformed into a dangerous creature. A painted Rottweiler was used in the film adaptation for certain attack scenes.
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What transformation does Cujo undergo in Stephen King's novel?
Cujo, a St. Bernard dog in Stephen King's novel, transforms from a playful pet to a vicious killer after contracting rabies from a bat bite. This drastic change in behavior results in Cujo attacking anyone who approaches him.
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In which Stephen King's works does Cujo make an appearance?
Cujo, a St. Bernard dog, is featured in various Stephen King's works. He is the protagonist in the 1981 novel 'Cujo' and its 1983 film version. He is referenced in 'The Tommyknockers', 'Pet Sematary', 'Needful Things', 'The Body', and 'Gerald's Game' film. Additionally, Cujo has a cameo in the 'Cat's Eye' film.
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Who were the original owners of Cujo in the story?
Cujo, a male St. Bernard dog, belonged to the Camber Family in the narrative. He was initially a playful and friendly pet, but after being bitten by a rabid bat, his demeanor drastically changed, transforming him into a dangerous aggressor.
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What is the significance of Cujo in the Stephen King multiverse?
Cujo, a St. Bernard dog, is a central figure in Stephen King's multiverse. He is the main antagonist in the 1981 novel 'Cujo' and its 1983 film adaptation, transforming into a dangerous killer after a rabies infection. Cujo also features posthumously in 'Pet Sematary', has a minor role in 'Cat’s Eye', and is referenced in 'The Tommyknockers', 'Pet Semetary', 'Needful Things', 'The Body', and 'Gerald's Game'.
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Cujo
During the events of the novel, Cujo was chasing a rabbit in the fields behind the Camber property. The rabbit dove into a small opening that served as the entrance for a hidden cave where bats roosted in daytime. Cujo, too large for anything but his head to fit through the hole, became stuck. His barking awoke the bats, one of whom was crushed in Cujo's jaws. The dying bat bit the dog on the nose, Cujo freed himself from the cave entrance and trotted off. Over the next few days, he became very bloodthirsty and dangerous, eventually killing the Camber's neighbor, Gary Pervier and Joe Camber himself. When Donna Trenton and her son, Tad, go to the Cambers' farm for an auto repair, they are attacked by Cujo and spend three days trapped in their car. By this time, Cujo is now completely covered in blood, grime, froth, and mucus, and the smallest things could set him off. When the phone rings inside the Camber home, Cujo flies into a rage and viciously attacks the door, further mutilating his snout. Cujo bites Donna in the leg when she tries to escape and get help and she barely survives the merciless and destructive attack. A local sheriff arrives looking for Donna at her husband Vic's request, only to be attacked by the dog and horribly mutilated.
How the Camber's came to own Cujo is recounted by Joe while he cleans up a large pile of the dog's feces in front of the workbench in his garage. Joe is puzzled at Cujo's action, a habit Cujo never displayed before. Joe remembers that one of his auto customers was short the money he owed for repairs and offered Joe a purebred Saint Bernard puppy in payment. Reluctant at first, Joe became convinced when the customer said a dog would be a good companion for Joe's son, Brett, who had no other siblings. Joe agreed and closed the deal. Joe, knowing Cujo would grow into a huge animal that would also eat a lot of dog food, talked later to another customer who owned a market in the area, Joe was able to make a deal for large bags of dog food in exchange for a reduced rate on any car repairs which the market owner agreed to wholeheartedly.
Meanwhile, Tad is dying of severe dehydration and Donna decides that she has to do something or else her son will die. She makes a daring escape from the car and Cujo attacks. Seizing a discarded baseball bat from a junk pile, she and the dog square off. She beats the dog with the blunt instrument, but it breaks when it strikes Cujo's face. Cujo lunges, and she falls backward. However, when the dog jumps on her, she jams the broken end into Cujo's stomach, impaling him. The still-enraged doc continues to attack her, biting her on the arm. Donna eventually stabs him through the eye with the end of the bat, killing him. Vic, having returned from a business trip and surmising that Donna had taken her car to Camber's for repair, arrives on the scene just as Donna kills the dog. Vic discovers that their son has died in the car and Donna, by now showing symptoms of rabies herself, tries to revive him with CPR. After failing in vain, she picks up the heavy end of the bat and beats Cujo's corpse. She growls at medics who try to pull her off and, after a brief struggle where she bites one of her subduers, is given a sedative and allowed to further beat the dog's body until she collapses. Later, a local county health official arrives and cuts off the dog's head to send it to the state Department of Health and Welfare.
Cujo (1983 film)
The film follows the book fairly faithfully, with some of Cujo's killings being altered. Gary Pervier is killed in his barn when Cujo attacks. In the finale of the story, Donna is able to beat Cujo into unconsciousness with the baseball bat and frees her son from the car's hatchback with the butt end of the dead sheriff's pistol. She carries him into the Camber house were she gives him water. As the two try to comfort each other, Cujo breaks into the kitchen where Donna shoots the dog with the pistol.
Other Appearances
Along with the possessed automobile Christine, he makes a cameo appearance in "Cat's Eye" where he briefly chases the titular cat General.
In the 1985 comedy Fletch, the title character, played by Chevy Chase, enters an darkened, abandoned house and calls out Cujo's name as a joke.
In an episode of Will & Grace, Karen mentions Cujo's name when Will's dog begins licking the droplets of her martini.
In a Disney film Bolt, Mittens calls the title character “Cujo”.
The audiobook version of Cujo is read by Lorna Raver.
Gallery
Cujo before he becomes rabid
Trivia
Reggie from Disney's Lady and the Tramp II: Scamps Adventure is based on Cujo as Reggie has the same bad violent behavior as him. The difference is that Reggie is more villainous as his bad behavior is his real personality while Cujo is more of a tragic villain due to him being infected by rabies.
Since it was a bat that bit Cujo and infected him, the bats are often considered the true main antagonists.
Despite biting Cujo they aren't seen afterward, this makes the bats the overarching antagonists.
In some scenes of the film, a painted Rottweiler was used since actual St. Bernards were not capable of performing convincing simulated attacks. The Rottweiler's tail was strapped to its leg to prevent it wagging and undermining the sense of fear.
To make the dogs attack the car in the film, their favorite toys were placed in the car so they would try to get them.
There was an early draft where Cujo was also going to be possessed by a spirit of a serial killer, but it was scrapped because it was seen as too outlandish and would detract from the fear the writers wished to portray in the film.
However, it has still been theorized that Cujo was possessed by Frank Dodd, from another Stephen King book, The Dead Zone.
Despite Cujo being the main antagonist of the film, he has only 15 minutes of screen time.
Cujo is considered the most tragic villain in the Stephan King universe since he became murderous not by his choice and before then he was a very friendly and affectionate dog who always wanted to make his owners proud of him.
