Dave the Dog is a supporting character featured in the 2024 Disney+ original Christmas short An Almost Christmas Story.
Background[]
Personality[]
Dave is an entitled dog who is capable of talking to animals (specifically non-human types), regardless of which species he talks to. During his first encounter with Moon, he reminded Moon that the area where he and Luna are reading the map is not the place for him but rather his. Later, he also became worried when he saw a desperate Moon on his way to the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza, trying to keep him safe, unaware that the ice rink has a policy that prohibits animals from standing on the rink. Despite this, he eventually became surprised upon seeing Pat helping Moon get to the top of the Christmas tree's star.
Role in the short[]
When Luna and Moon are having separate-sided conversations of going to each others' respective homes using a map at the subway station, Dave walks past the two of them while being carried on a leash by his owner. He then pauses talks to Luna, telling him that the place that he marked is his as in all of this place (presumably referring to the map where he and is owner are looking). He explains that he went "all over it" on his place, just before he leaves and tells him "Merry Christmas", just before leaving with his owner.
Furthermore during the end of the short where Luna is trying to catch up with Moon on his way to the Rockefeller Christmas tree, Dave notices the two running just as he joins the chase, telling the two to stop running. However, despite his worry, he was unable to stop the two from running. To his frustration, Dave leaps onto the ice rink while a staff member warns Luna not to bring animals on the rink. Luna then lifts Moon and then helps him fly, but is rescued by Pat who flies him to the top of the Christmas tree. This makes Dave react with surprise of Moon's attempt to fly to the star on the top of the Christmas tree. He does not appear again afterwards, even after Moon returns back to his home in the forest.
Trivia[]
- Despite appearing for a few seconds in both scenes he appears within, Dave's voice actor, Alex Ross Perry, was listed in the "Starring Cast" section of the end credits.
- The way Dave talks to Moon reveals that the latter can understand non-human entities - more specifically animals.
- Dave may have been named after David Lowery, the director of An Almost Christmas Story.
- Dave's name was never mentioned in the short.
- Although Dave was animated through stop-motion model, his owner's model was designed as a cardboard design rather than having a standard stop-motion model, which is unusual for a stop-motion prop interacting with a cardboard prop.