Klingon monster dog

Klingon monster dogs were a type of lizard-dog kept as pets by Klingons. The animal resembled an emaciated canine with much of its skeletal structure visible through its darkened skin. It also had a forked tongue. It appeared to be more ill-tempered than its master. 
Commander Kruge kept a ferocious monster dog as a pet aboard his Bird-of-Prey. During the 's preemptive firing of photon torpedoes at the enemy ship, the animal was killed by a surge of electricity that sparked heavily from Kruge's command chair. Enraged by the death of his pet as much as Kirk's attack, Kruge ordered his gunner to fire on the Enterprise, disabling the ship with one shot. ()
== Appendices ==
=== See also ===
*Targ
*Jackal mastiff
=== Background information ===
The term "monster dog" is not the "official name" of this animal; however, it is consistently used by Visual Effects Supervisor Ken Ralston during an interview in the DVD, which discusses the creation of the puppet.
In the script, the "monster dog" was referred to as "the Beast" and was described as "a half timber wolf, half lizard."
 spoke fondly of this creature, remarking, "It seemed to embody the best attributes of a German shepherd and an alligator." However, A.C. Crispin was much less enthusiastic about the animal, commenting, "Will somebody please tell me what the Commander's pooch actually ate? Kruge's alligator-dog seemed to me gratuitous, something that ILM toted in as an afterthought, possibly a mechanical marvel left over from the critters fashioned for 's entourage [in the Star Wars film ]. 'Hutt's Best Friend,' so to speak." (, issue 88, pp. 35 & 36)
In the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park's Star Trek Adventure experience, a child participant would be selected to play a similar Klingon pet in each presentation. In the closing credits of the edited "episode," this juvenile creature was called a "puppy lizard."
=== Apocrypha ===
In the Star Trek III: Starship Combat Game, the creature was a jadashha.
The Klingon name of this animal may also possibly be qovIj, a term introduced and approved by Marc Okrand at the 2019 convention. It is defined as "This is a canine-like (dog-like) creature, smaller than a ngavyaw'. It is a smaller animal, similar to Kruge's pet." The term "similar" leaves it open if Kruge's pet is an example of a qovIj on screen or if it is only "alike".
Category:Qo'noS
Category:Canines
Category:Memory Alpha articles named from supplementary resources