The Dogs

The Dogs are an American three-piece proto-punk band formed in Lansing, Michigan, in 1968. They are noted for presaging the energy and sound of the later punk and hardcore genres. Originally formed by guitarist/vocalist Loren Molinare and bassist Mary Kay with drummer Ron Wood, and based in Lansing, The Dogs played with the rock and proto-punk bands of the time including Amboy Dukes, The Stooges, MC5, and The Up. The band relocated to Detroit in 1973, and then to New York City in 1974 where they played with other bands of the glam and pre-punk scenes such as KISS, The Dictators, Television, and The Stilettos (pre-Blondie). The band moved again to the West Coast in 1976, releasing their debut 7” "John Rock" on California’s Dynamic Recording label, and playing with hard rock bands such as AC/DC and Van Halen as well as new wave groups like The Motels and Ramones. Moving to the UK in 1978, The Dogs toured Britain and Ireland, in support of second 7” Slash Your Face, self-released on the band’s own Detroit Records imprint that year. The band returned to the U.S. in 1980 but went on hiatus in 1981 with the departure of their drummer; they reformed with new drummer Tony Matteucci in 1983, but went on hiatus again in 1989 when Molinaire joined Little Caesar.