Michael has said of the song: 'Shoot the Dog' is simply my attempt to contribute to the public debate that I feel should be taking place regarding Iraq and Saddam Hussein.

[citation needed] The video depicts a frustrated general attempting to explain the geopolitical situation surrounding the War on Terror to President Bush using Michael's music.

The video also depicts Michael as a parody of Homer Simpson, who is bullied by a next door neighbour (an allegory for the U.S.'s alleged envy of Iraq's rich oil reserves, which is thought by critics to have been a primary motivation for the War on Terror), and Michael attempting to seduce Cherie Blair into having her husband stop going along with Bush.

A caricature of Geri Halliwell makes a cameo appearance in which she tries to join the video as one of Michael's backup singers, the Spice Girls having broken up a year prior in 2001.

Michael faced heavy criticism of his song in the United States, with the New York Post naming him a "past-his-prime pop pervert".