Dracula’s Dog 1977

A Romanian army excavation unintentionally exposes a hidden crypt, prompting the military to station a guard nearby out of concern for looters and criminals. One night, an earthquake causes one of the coffins inside the crypt to shift and fall to the ground, landing right at the feet of the confused soldier guarding the site. Curious about what might have fallen, he dares to open the coffin and finds nothing but the body of a dog, impaled with a wooden stake. As he removes the stake, the dog, named Zoltan, revives as a vampiric Doberman Pinscher, instantly transforming into a menacing creature. Zoltan then slays the guard and drinks his blood, gaining strength from this act.

Unleashing chaos, Zoltan proceeds to open another coffin that had been disturbed by the quake, revealing the body of his master, an innkeeper named Veidt Smit. Removing the stake from the innkeeper’s chest, Zoltan re-animates him, and they are revealed to be part of a vampire family residing in a crypt that dates back to Romania, specifically tied to the Dracula lineage. Flashbacks transport viewers to Romania in 1670, over 300 years earlier, where a dramatic encounter unfolds.

During this flashback, an innkeeper’s dog heroically saves a sleeping woman from being bitten by Count Igor Dracula, a vampire. Enraged by losing his intended victim to the dog, Dracula, in his bat form, bites the dog, transforming it into a vampire as well. The story intensifies as Dracula, accompanied by the now vampiric dog, viciously turns on the innkeeper, transforming him into what is described as a “fractional lamia”—an undead creature that can operate in daylight and does not require a blood meal, thus serving as a sort of undead slave.

Fast forward to the present day, the narrative reveals that the vampire family’s only known, mortal descendant is Michael Drake, a psychiatrist who bears a striking resemblance to Count Igor Dracula. Unaware of his heritage, Michael decides to go on vacation with his wife Marla Drake, their two children, Linda and Steve, along with their German Shepherds, Samson and Annie, and their puppies. They set out in their Winnebago camper for a relaxing trip, not realizing that they are unknowingly being marked by the vampire dog Zoltan and his master Veidt Smit.

The vampire dog and his master voyage to the United States, smugglings themselves through the port to Los Angeles, California, with plans to make Michael their new master. As they arrive, Zoltan and Veidt Smit eventually find themselves in the same woods as Michael and his family. Their presence signals the impending chaos as the vampire household begins to make its move.

Meanwhile, two fishermen exploring the area with their Pointer, Buster, accidentally discover that Zoltan has bitten their dog. The situation worsens as the Drakes’ two dogs also fall victim to bites from Zoltan. Tragically, once the dogs die, they reanimate as vampire dogs, becoming minions to Zoltan and the vampire family’s dark plans. The conflict culminates in the destruction of Veidt Smit and the vampire dogs, bringing an end to their reign of terror. However, a small twist of fate occurs when one of the Drakes’ puppies, a German Shepherd bitten prior by Zoltan, manages to escape destruction and remains at large, hinting at the potential for future trouble.