In Secret Window, why did the dog have to die?

Question

In the movie Secret Window, Mort's dog Chico is found dead stabbed with a screwdriver and Mort deduces that Shooter have killed the dog (as a letter was attached to the dog's body). But later in the movie, it is revealed that its Mort himself who was acting Shooter's part.

And also, for the other murdered people (Greenleaf, the detective, etc), it can be said the Shooter/Mort killed them as they stood in his way. But why kill he dog? He was not harm to Shooter/Mort's intentions or whatsoever..

So why did the dog have to die? Is is in some way connected to the movie's storyline or just put there to confuse the viewer?

Answer 1

Personally, it would have seemed weird for the dog to be present throughout the rest of the film, especially with the ending.

On a more analytical point of view, however, it might have been simply because of the psychological breakdown that the main character begins to suffer. Some killings (maybe I could venture to say most) have a strong emotional connection with the killer. I don't remember there being much elaboration about the dog's origins, but killing the dog could have been an outlet for him, a way to express the pent-up emotions from what he's dealt with. Maybe he just used the dog to represent his hatred for his wife cheating on him.

Honestly, I think it just boils down to the dog being at the wrong place at the wrong time. You've got a writer who's delusional about breaking up with his wife (since he's putting off the divorce), drinking a hefty amount of Jack Daniel's, and stuck with a lack of writer's inspiration at a cabin in a small town. Isolation and emotional suffering can breed some psychotic issues.