In addition to Dale's brief mention of "the dog," a close-up shot of some newspaper clippings later confirms that the dog is indeed Cujo. The 1981 psychological horror novel tells the story of ill-fated mother and son duo, Donna and Tad, who go to the town's mechanic in hopes of getting their broken-down car fixed. Unfortunately, they end up trapped in their vehicle when the mechanic's rabid dog, Cujo, kills both the mechanic and the next-door neighbour and begins attacking Donna and Tad.