Debuted along with the “97 batch” of more than a dozen new songs, “Dogs Stole Things” was twice walked around the block at the summer tour warm-up on 6/6/97, and then made its public debut on 6/13/97 in Dublin, Ireland.

A likeable, shuffling tune, “Dogs” doesn’t represent anything pivotal in Phish’s songwriting or performance history, so many fans have unfairly labeled it as a “throwaway” tune. While it doesn’t exactly break new ground musically or lyrically, “Dogs Stole Things” is a nice breather tune for the band, showcasing some nice tickling from Page and restrained but loose backup from Trey, Mike, and Fish. The song ostensibly chronicles the habits of pets that steal the dreams of their human owners; what it is really about is anyone’s guess; your interpretation works as well as any other.

“Dogs Stole Things” was in heavy rotation in 1997, having been performed a solid twenty times that year, and it remained in semi-regular rotation until the hiatus. Only appearing twice in 2003, "Dogs Stole Things" has yet to make a post-breakup appearance. Performances do not vary substantially among versions and the song is never likely to be employed as vehicle for improvisation. Representative versions can be found on several official releases including the Island Tour set (4/3/98), Hampton Comes Alive (11/21/98), and Live Phish 06 (11/27/98), as well as in otherwise solid shows including 9/11/99, and 7/12/03. Acoustic versions can be found by Trey from his solo performances on 2/15/99, 5/4/99, and 5/7/99, and by Trey and Tom Marshall on Trampled by Lambs and Pecked by the Dove.

"Dogs Stole Things" – 7/10/98, Barcelona, Spain

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