Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Dog Man!

DreamWorks Dog Man is finally here, and here is everything that happens in the movie’s ending explained and how the film sets up a potential Dog Man 2. Based on the book series of the same name, Dog Man tells the story of a police officer who has his body attached to the head of a dog after a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly explosion. The new and improved Dog Man must then become the ultimate cop, facing off against the villainous Petey the Cat. Dog Man has a lot more twists and turns than many viewers expected, leaving open questions like these.

At the end of Dog Man, the dangerous Flippy the Fish comes back to life, with the psychic mechanical fish endangering the world. In order to stop him, Dog Man, Petey, and Li’l Petey must team up, with them attempting to stop Flippy from destroying all do-gooders. Flippy first captures Li’l Petey, with Dog Man and Petey rescuing him. Then Flippy captures Petey, causing Dog Man and Li’l Petey to have to rescue him too. Then, Li’l Petey convinces Flippy not to be a villain anymore. Flippy goes to jail, Petey gets pardoned, and Li’l Petey decides to live with Dog Man.

Petey The Cat Becomes A Do-Gooder (Thanks To Lil Petey)

He Is Influenced By His Clone Son

Nobody is truly good or evil in the world of Dog Man, and although Petey the Cat stars the film out as the ultimate criminal mastermind, he becomes a do-gooder by the end of the film. Throughout Dog Man, Petey’s one goal is to destroy the тιтular hero cop. However, the introduction of Li’l Petey softens Petey’s heart. At first, Petey wonders why Li’l Petey is so nice, with him ᴀssuming that the young clone would be just as evil as him. However, this and Li’l Petey’s kindness makes Petey realize that he doesn’t have to be this way, with him questioning his past evil deeds.

Flippy capturing Li’l Petey leads to a turning point in Petey’s mind. Although he had always wanted to get rid of Li’l Petey, he had grown to love the young clone. Li’l Petey’s kidnapping leads Petey to team up with his arch-nemesis, Dog Man, with the duo working together to stop Flippy. Petey even agrees to sacrifice himself in order to save Li’l Petey, although he luckily is saved before being dropped into the volcano. After defeating Flippy, Petey is ready to return to prison. However, he learns that the governor has pardoned him for his good deeds, kicking off his life of heroism.

Why Li’l Petey Decides To Live With Dog Man

Dog Man Is A More Positive Influence

Throughout Dog Man, Li’l Petey is being torn between two worlds. Unaware of his status as a clone, Dog Man loves Petey, with him wanting to act as a positive father figure to him upon finding him abandoned. Meanwhile, Petey wants to train Li’l Petey to become a villain just like him, with him pushing his villainous worldview onto the young cat. After living with Dog Man for a while, Li’l Petey goes back to live with Petey, showing what both parents have to offer. By the end of Dog Man, Li’l Petey has to make a choice about where he wants to go.

Ultimately, Li’l Petey decides to live with Dog Man at the end of the movie. While Petey has become a do-gooder by this point, Li’l Petey realizes that Petey has only wanted to use him for villainous purposes throughout the film. Meanwhile, Dog Man has truly cared about him, with Dog Man not even knowing that he was connected to his arch-nemesis. While Li’l Petey may have chosen Dog Man, he seems to still have a relationship with Petey, with the former Dog Man villain partying with the rest of the city at the end of the movie.

Will Lil Petey Grow Up To Become A Villain?

Or Is He Good For Good?

Li’l Petey is a beacon of positivity throughout Dog Man‘s first two acts, but he begins to take a scary turn by the end of the movie. Li’l Petey begins to see the world in the same way that Petey does, with him believing that the world is all mud puddles, pollution, and weeds. This sets Li’l Petey on a path toward villainy, hinting that the character may have a darker side. However, Dog Man eventually sets Li’l Petey back on the right path. It is still possible that Li’l Petey could become a villain in a future sequel, falling back into the same worldview as his clone father.

What Happened To Petey’s Father?

He Disappeared And Never Came Back

Grampa, the father of Petey and the grandfather of Li’l Petey, appears in Dog Man, with Li’l Petey summoning him in order to try to fix his relationship with Petey. Soon, Li’l Petey realizes that Grampa isn’t a very good person, with him constantly belittling Petey. At the end of the film, Petey and Li’l Petey spot Grampa speeding away in a moving truck. When they return to the lab, they see that Grampa has stolen everything except for the books that Li’l Petey wrote. Dog Man never explains where Grampa is going or what his plan is, although it is possible that he could return in a sequel.

The Real Meaning Of Dog Man’s Ending

It Is About Nature Vs. Nurture

Dog Man has a surprisingly heartwarming message, with it telling a story about nature versus nurture. Upon cloning himself, Petey believes that his clone will be just as villainous as he is. However, love from Dog Man turns Li’l Petey into a do-gooder, to the surprise of Petey. Dog Man argues that people’s worldviews are shaped by their environments, with Li’l Petey pointing out that Petey’s villainous tendencies may have been caused by his negative relationship with his father. The love of Li’l Petey begins to help redeem Petey, with Dog Man showing that anyone can change.

How Dog Man Sets Up Dog Man 2 (Based On The Books)

Will A Dog Man Sequel Happen?

Dog Man may not be the end of the story for the тιтular cop, as there are all kinds of stories to pull from for Dog Man 2. Dog Man is not a direct adaptation of any of the books, with it pulling from the franchise’s various characters and books in order to craft an original story. One interesting element that could be expanded upon is Big Jim, a character who is seen in the movie’s Cat Jail scene. He becomes a major character in the Dog Man books, with his name even being in the тιтles of the thirteenth and fourteenth books.

Dog Man 2 could make Petey a villain again, with him being a recurring villain throughout the franchise. However, this would hurt the themes of the first movie. It would make more sense for Petey’s father to be the villain of the sequel, resolving his whereabouts and motivations. A Dog Man sequel could also pull from one of the franchise’s other villains, setting up an all-new story.