Dog in the Sand is Frank Black's third album with backing group the Catholics.

Though retaining the live-to-two-track method of recording of the previous two albums, this album found the band branching away from purely electric rock to incorporate acoustic guitar, pedal steel, and Rhodes Piano and Wurlitzer organ into the sonic template.

A notable change on the album is the induction of Black's former producer and keyboardist, Eric Drew Feldman, to the Catholics, a veteran of Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band and Pere Ubu.

The album also features contributions from Moris Tepper (Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits) and Black's former Pixies bandmate Joey Santiago,[9] as well as guitarist Dave Phillips, who would soon join the Catholics as a full-time member.

"When we got back to Los Angeles for a two week rehearsal (for the Dog in the Sand album), we added auxiliary guitarist Dave Philips, who was so good he ended up playing on every song," Black said.