10 Horror Movie Tropes That Prove "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It"
1. The Dog Dies First
In horror films that centre around families, if they have a dog or other pet, it's almost guaranteed that they will be the first to sense a supernatural presence, and they will attempt to alert their owners about whatever entity has moved in unannounced by doing things such as barking at (seemingly) nothing, waking in the middle of the night growling, and generally behaving in a way other than what the family is used to.
Unfortunately, in films that use this trope, the dog is also highly likely to be the first family member to die. Often, the dog's body will be discovered by one of the children when they are out playing, and spot a trail of blood which they proceed to follow.
The trope is used as a way of rattling the audience as they realise that truly terrible things are about to happen. After all, only pure evil could kill an innocent mutt, surely?
Trope Examples: The Babadook (2014), The Conjuring (2012),