The Canine Survival Tenet

The Film Yap Lexicon is comprised of terminology for certain cinematic phenomena that occur often enough to form discernible patterns — typically events or circumstances that are patently ludicrous to customs of narrative or known science and, on occasion, the result of misguided choices by filmmakers. Although these terms could take their name from numerous films, they are principally derived from the prime examples of this phenomena. In any movie featuring mass destruction, an animal thrown into harm's way will narrowly survive. In action films, an animal will be fleeing some sort of event that will surely kill it only for the animal to leap to safety at the last moment in a moment designed to elicit cheers from the audience.

In a horror film or thriller, the killer encounters an animal and we are meant to believe the animal perished, only to provide a happy moment when it is revealed to be still alive. Note that particularly sadistic horror films are often marked by the villain actually killing a dog or otherwise being cruel to animals.

The prime example of the Canine Survival Tenet is "Independence Day," where alien invaders are attacking major cities, incinerating literally millions of people before our eyes, and yet we are asked to cheer the lone dog who leaps to safety.