The barking dog stands as one of Keith Haring's most iconic subjects, first appearing in a series of  subway drawings made in the early 1980s. Haring’s use of canine imagery reflects the politically charged status of both dogs and homosexual men in New York at the time. During the 1970s, public anxiety about the number of dogs in the city exploded. Fuelled by racism and gentrification, public health campaigns pushed for dog owners to clean up after their pets, and "put children before dogs". The subtext of the campaigns was not lost on the gay community, as it echoed the homophobic public discourse around gay sex, becoming increasingly visible as liberation movements grew in power. Haring was not alone in using the dog as an emblem of queer resistance, and was joined in appropriating this symbolism by Jenny Holzer, David Wojnarowicz, and Martin Wong. Each artist used the dog as subject to challenge the surrounding narrative of fear and contagion. Within this context, Haring’s Dog not only reflects the need for voices against injustice but highlights a period of creative revolution against the dehumanization of gay desire.

Whilst a student at the School of Visual Arts in New York, Keith Haring developed an interest in semiotics and became captivated by how different cultures utilised symbols for communication. As a graffiti artist navigating the risks of creating art in public spaces, he was especially drawn to the iconography of ancient Egypt and hieroglyphics in particular, due to their ability to convey complex ideas through deceptively simple motifs. As a result, he developed an idiosyncratic visual language of symbols that can both be drawn quickly and also convey profound emotions. The recurring dog motif in his work, often depicted barking, dancing, or standing on two feet like a  human, echoes the imagery of Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god associated with funerary rites and grave protection. Anubis is commonly represented as a dog-man hybrid with a canine head and a human body. Haring's Dog, adorned with drawings of dancing figures, man-dog hybrids, erotic scenes, and more, playfully subverts the traditional notions of protection linked to Anubis. In this way, Haring challenges the authority and governmental power symbolized by the dog, turning it into a dynamic expression of rebellion and creative dissent.

The Dog lithographic edition came to fruition due to a dilemma of Haring’s. The artist had compiled a series of drawings to accompany a text written by the artist Brion Gysin, which they intended to be published together in a book titled Fault Lines. However, due to the explicit nature of these illustrations, Haring found difficulty in locating a publisher. In seeking help, he turned to Jörg Schellmann, an established leader in art publishing. Schellmann agreed to publish the book on one condition: that Haring produce another edition with him. From this, the Dog edition was born, a print that has amassed notable popularity over the years. Schellman’s willingness to support artists’ creative concepts marked him as a notable art publisher and allowed for the production of innovative and exciting editions.

“In 1985, Keith had made a series of drawings for a text by Brion Gysin and wanted to turn this material into a book. However, he did not succeed in finding a publisher due to the heavy sexual imagery in his drawings...When I looked at the drawings, I could see the problem, but spontaneously offered to publish the book myself if Keith were to do an object in an edition for me – assuming that the book would hardly pay for its printing costs. Keith was very pleased and promised to come up with something – which indeed he did: he made the Dog multiple. As expected, the book sold slowly over the years, whereas the Dog garnered great popularity over the 30 years of its existence.”

—Jörg Schellmann