Dogs is set in a dystopic European city where violence, crime, genetic manipulation and other scientific brutalities have become common.

Written and illustrated by Shirow Miwa, the first series, Dogs (狗-DOGS-, Ku Doggusu), was published in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump from 2000 to 2001.

The two-volume OVA series was produced by David Production and featured the same voice cast as the drama CD.

[13] Carlo Santos of Anime News Network stated that Shirow Miwa raised "gunplay to the level of art" and that the loosely connected characters "provide the backdrop for mouth-watering eye candy".

Santos also credits Miwa's ability to "craft a manga storyline about an old man who's the very opposite of a spunky teenage protagonist".

However, Santos believes it is another "pompous, preening '_____ with guns' series" and that it is hard to find any substance of artistry when the Miwa is "cycling through all the usual tough-guy tropes".

[14] Leroy Douresseaux of Comic Book Bin stated the volume is "a stylishly violent crime thriller in the vein of Asian film-influenced movies like Pulp Fiction and The Matrix" and that Miwa's art reflects the elegance such a manga needs.

Miwa's use of heavy blacks and stark whites reminded Haley of Shou Tajima, illustrator of Multiple Personality Detective Psycho, although there is no further similarity.

He says that Miwa's style is dynamic and the action sequences are "fast-paced and kinetic" because of liberal use of extreme depth cues, an artistic technique which exaggerates the sense of distance.