"Bad Dog" is a short story that was originally included alongside various food products, specifically Pepsi products, along with "Don't Make Me Laugh" and "The Halloween Game," all of which were later collected in Goosebumps Haunted Library.
Plot[]
Cathy and her brother Sean, are walking through the cemetery to get home from school like they always do when all of a sudden they're stopped by an angry, ugly looking dog. While trying to get the dog to go away, they run into Judy and Martin, two classmates who deny the dog being theirs, before the dog vanishes. Later in the day, the two are doing homework when Sean finishes his first and goes to ride his bike, only to come back being chased by the dog. After forcibly pulling the dog out of the garage, Cathy notices Judy and Martin hiding in a bush in the next yard.
The next morning the two are heading to school through the cemetery once again, when the dog appears and corners Sean against a tombstone. Cathy spots Judy and Martin again, yelling at the two to help, only for them to run away. Cathy grabs the dog by the collar once again and decides to take the dog to the next town over, hoping it would give up following them. After successfully getting the dog to leave, the two go to school and stay late to work on a project, only to be greeted by the dog when they leave the building. As the dog attacks them, Judy and Martin reappear, claiming that "dogs always know" when someone's a ghost. Cathy admits that her and Sean are ghosts, only for Judy and Martin to confess that they're ghosts as well. Judy is desperate to get rid of the dog, saying that if people find out they're ghosts, they won't be allowed to go to school and they'll lose all contact with the real world. Cathy suddenly gets an idea and leads the dog back to her house, releasing her cat Fluff on it, as according to her, "the only thing dogs hate more than ghosts are ghost cats!"
Trivia[]
The tag for a set of boxers, featuring The Barking Ghost with the title "Bad Dog."
- The tag for a pair of Goosebumps boxers included a story called "Bad Dog," though the cover of the book is that of The Barking Ghost.
- The idea of dogs detecting ghosts is common throughout the Goosebumps series.