[13] Dog Problems was produced by Steven McDonald, who was assisted by engineer Ken Sluiter, and was recorded in Los Angeles, California, over two months.

[14] "Snails" was re-recorded during the sessions; Ruess said the original EP version was recorded on a strict time-frame and the band were unable to give the song enough attention.

[citation needed] The works of The Beatles and The Zombies were also cited as influences; the pair would listen to "You're the Inspiration" (1984) by Chicago while traveling to the studio every day.

[18] AllMusic reviewer Corey Apar wrote there is a "whimsical, carnival-esque air that appears sporadically throughout" Dog Problems as the band "mix in horn sections, piano, banjo, handclaps and pretty much whatever else was lying around the studio".

[19] IGN writer Chad Grischow said The Format bounce between a "soulful and reflective pair, begging comparisons to old Beach Boys, while at other times they dazzle with danceable beats and dangerously addictive soaring emo hooks", evoking Jimmy Eat World.

[20] PopMatters contributor Winston Kung said across the album's songs, Ruess "discusses corporate rock magazines, moving to the [country] Ukraine, and one dysfunctional girlfriend in particular who seems to have eviscerated his heart".

[22] Means and Ruess were supplemented by additional musicians for every song on Dog Problems, which includes cello, violin, viola, French horn, clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone and tuba instrumentation.

[20][23][24] "Time Bomb" is a dance-rock and power-pop track that blends drums and a piano against a disco beat; it describes a self-destructive woman who self-harms by the song's end.

"Dog Problems" opens with a Dixieland jazz atmosphere, and describes having a broken heart; the song is accompanied by bar piano and horns.

[27] The pop rock track "Oceans" recalls the work of the Beach Boys; Merry-Go-Round Magazine founder CJ Simpson wrote "Dead End" feels like a "massive post-intermission number of a happy-go-lucky musical".

[24][26] "Snails" is a folk song that uses the titular creatures as a metaphor for loving one's life;[20] the track's guitar-playing is reminiscent of the style played by Paul McCartney in "Blackbird" (1968) by The Beatles.

[30] "Time Bomb" was released to radio on October 17, 2006; the seven-inch (18 cm) vinyl version includes a cover of "Glutton of Sympathy" (1993) by Jellyfish as its B-side.

[36] From late October to mid December 2006, the band supported The All-American Rejects on their Tournado 2006 tour, which included an appearance at the CMJ Festival.

[43] Following this, the band went on a three-month headlining US tour with support on various dates from Mike Birbiglia, Limbeck, Steel Train, Reuben's Accomplice, The Honorary Title, Ollie Wilde and Piebald.

[48][49][50] Demos of "I'm Actual", "Time Bomb", "Dead End" and "If Work Permits", and an acoustic version of "Matches" were included on The Format's compilation album B-Sides and Rarities (2007).

He added despite heavy use of extra instruments, "every element is cleanly pulled off with such effortless charm, grace, and style that the songs in no way feel bogged down under the weight of the bands' ambition".

[60] According to Billboard's Katie Hasty, the "breathless indie pop and broken-hearted lyrics of Dog Problems deserve every bit of the attention they are receiving".

[61] Jennifer Sica of Alternative Press called Dog Problems an "odyssey sans trite lyrical clichés and guitar-overload breakdowns" found in emo while Spin's Peter Gaston praised the "immaculate conceived arrangements", which "come to vivid life" with Ruess' "acerbic, spot-on witticisms".

[54][59] Riverfront Times writer Julie Seabaugh said "instead of treading clichéd ground, Ruess employs metaphors far more convincing than his peers' overused" imagery.

[21] Alan Shulman of No Ripcord wrote The Format "do a pretty good job putting their own spin on the melodic-here comes the hook-there goes the riff-check out this harmony pop song".

Club writer Noel Murray said Dog Problems "relies a little too much on pat power-pop formulas, though Ruess' sweetly elastic voice and honest anger carry a lot of the songs close to 'Time Bomb' sublimity".

[55] According ti Chicago Tribune contributor Kevin Bronson, the melodies "stick but never wear out their welcome" because the tracks are "arranged [well] but don't suffocate from their orchestration".

[65] In a retrospective review, Knott said Dog Problems "sweeps you through 45 minutes of brilliantly easy listening with every ounce of its musical integrity intact", and called it perfect.

[66] Spectrum Culture writer John Paul added to this, stating the album "should have made their career or, at the very least, helped assure them some sort of iconic cult record status".

[67] Dan Bogosian in his book Red Hot Chili Peppers FAQ (2020) wrote Klinghoffer's parts on the album are "not the most advanced guitar work, [but] one of the songs became one of the Format's largest hits in 'I'm Actual'", which he said foreshadowed the sound Fun would later explore.

[68] The Young Folks writer Ryan Gibbs expanded on this, saying fans are able to hear "early inklings" of Fun's album Some Nights in the songs "I'm Actual" and "Dog Problems".