Why does Carlson shoot Candy’s dog?

Explanation:

Carlson shoots Candy’s dog in novel “Of Mice and Men” primarily because the dog is old, weak, and suffering. Carlson, frustrated with the smell and the dog’s lack of usefulness, insists on putting it out of its misery. Despite Candy’s emotional attachment to his longtime companion, he ultimately agrees to let Carlson shoot the dog, as he recognizes the dog’s declining quality of life and understands that it would be more humane to end its suffering. Additionally, this event serves as a foreshadowing of the fate that awaits other characters who are perceived as weak or burdensome in the harsh world depicted in the novel.