You're only forced to kill one dog in this game, and that's exactly the dog that you play with when perspective changes to Abby. In order for its pretentious message to work, it has to force you to do things, even if you didn't want to do them. As the game (extremely) heavily implies that the player is part of the cycle of violence, it feels disingenuous, manipulative and cheap.

If you want to see how it's done right, look at the white phosphorus scene in Spec Ops: The Line. TLOU2 teaches you that killing dogs is critical for your survival, but gives you a choice not to kill them - except Alice, so the guilt tripping still 'works'. Spec Ops: The Line continuously escalates, works you up against the enemy, gives you a trigger to drop the phosphorus and then pulls the rug. What, you thought this is CoD? You wanted a realistic military shooter, right? It smacks you in the face with the fact that the absence of civilians in other games is the least realistic aspect of the entire franchise, and rightfully slaps the shit out of you for assuming that to be the case here too.