Now that the high-octane events of John Wick: Chapter 4 have been released for the public eye, we share the details everyone wants to know, including what type of dog is in the movie, confirming if it’s a German Shepherd or a Belgian Malinois and revealing if the dog dies.
Chapter 4 does not hold back on the brutality or kill count and everyone who dies gets a screen-worthy sendoff.
Directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, the neo-noir action movie, John Wick: Chapter 4, is a direct sequel to Chapter 3 – Parabellum, and the fourth in the franchise, following Keanu Reeves’ titular hitman and starring Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, and more.
- MORE JOHN WICK: John Wick 4’s Donnie Yen is not visually impaired despite playing two blind fighters
What type of dog is in John Wick: Chapter 4? Is it a German Shepherd?
The Tracker’s dog is not a German Shepherd, but instead, it’s a Belgian Malinois.
This specific dog breed is also known as a Belgian Shepherd and they share physical traits with the German Shepherd.
Dexerto reported that five different dogs of the same breed were used to portray the canine, and actor, Shamier Anderson, explained their roles:
“I had to be with the dogs every day. Each one had a different personality, energy, and skill set. One dog did the tugging, another fetched. Not only did I get acquainted with them, I worked to understand their energy and build a believable relationship.”
In John Wick 3: Parabellum, Halle Berry’s Sofia had two Belgian Malinois as well and were also played by five dog actors (unconfirmed if they were the same dogs) named Santana, Tai, Sam 7, Boyca, and Ikar.
Does the dog die?
No, the dog does not die in John Wick: Chapter 4 and manages to assist in some gnarly takedowns during the events of this chapter.
This is welcomed news after the events that set up the hitman’s rampage, but what happened to the other dogs that came before?
After Daisy the beagle meets her end within the first 10 minutes of John Wick, the movie concludes with John rescuing an unnamed pitbull that stays out of harm’s way for the following two movies under the protection of Lance Reddick’s character, Charon.
The two dogs belonging to Sofia in Parabellum also survive the events. One dog was shot by Berrada but it was protected by its bulletproof vest.
Chad Stahelski Nearly scrapped the dog’s death in the first movie
We’ve heard of characters avenging their families before, but chasing payback for the death of a dog is unique fuel audiences wanted to get behind, but director, Chad Stahelski, previously revealed that the puppy’s death in the first John Wick movie was nearly removed.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski was asked if he thought the franchise could have reached bigger heights if the protagonist hadn’t been avenging his dog:
“Killing the puppy was written out as many times as it was written back in. Ultimately, it’s mythological. We had to go so overboard, so extreme to push it to let you know that it was absolutely symbolic. We’re not trying to hold the realism. We want the viewers to know we’re having a laugh. But you don’t even know how much Dave and I stressed about that. Holy shit, we were risking credit cards, a house mortgage, everything. [Producer] Basil Iwanyk put his company up. And then you have that day where you realize we’re doing all this and we’re killing a puppy? I thought we would never come back from it.”
By Jo Craig – [email protected]
John Wick: Chapter 4 is now in cinemas worldwide.
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