“Dog,” starring Channing Tatum, tells the story of a war hero dog and a former soldier traveling across the country together to honor the dog’s previous owner. 

“Dog” was released on Feb. 18 and is in a position to win awards. The movie starts with Tatum receiving a call that his army brother has passed away. Tatum had been trying to return to the military but was unable due to PTSD. He was given an order from his former commanding officer to bring the dead man’s dog to his funeral across the country and then Tatum will return to the military. When he arrives at the facility to pick up the dog, he finds out the dog also has PTSD from the war. 

“Dog” develops the bond between the dog and Tatum while outlining the real issues of PTSD. In movies that include a pet, viewers tend to become emotionally attached to the pet. “Dog” invokes the emotions of the viewers by turning the dog into the main character. 

After Tatum picks up the dog, he is told the dog would be put down after the funeral. Knowing that viewers are going to be upset because of the dog’s death, the writers knew they could teach the audience about PTSD from the dog’s eyes. When the dog is introduced to Tatum, he is aggressive, angry and doesn’t understand how dangerous he is to the public. He continues to have panic attacks and do more dangerous things because his mind is lost and he doesn’t know how to live properly. The dog continues to act dangerously until it runs into a therapist. When the dog meets the therapist, he suddenly becomes calm and learns how to act properly. 

The movie addresses how many soldiers get PTSD after war and how they can get help. Because the pet is easier to empathize with, viewers are impacted. 

After the trip, Tatum brings the dog back to the army base to be put down and then Tatum will return to the army. He has a change of heart as the dog taught him that PTSD is dangerous and it is smart to live a safe life after traumatic experiences. He drives off with the dog into a safer environment where they can both live life to the fullest. 

I would strongly recommend this movie to animal lovers, people who know people in the military and even a family looking for a somewhat edgy film with a loveable pet because the underlying theme is so strong and the plot is incredible.