Dog Problems

Dog Problems (The Vanity Label, 2006)

By the end of 2004, exhausted from their intense touring schedule, Means settled down in Arizona and married his longtime girlfriend, Anita. Ruess, however, was dealing with a series of relationship problems and drinking to excess. Their return to the recording studio the following year provided an outlet for his frustrations and, ultimately, his stormy former relationship served as a basis for many of the song on The Format's second album, Dog Problems. (The couple got dogs at one point during their on-again-off-again relationship, and when it was ultimately over, Ruess had three dogs to look after.)

After Elektra folded, The Format released a second EP, Snails with sister label Atlantic Records in April 2005. As they began to work on their second full-length album, they drew on the influences of 1970s pop music, including Harry Nilsson, ELO and The Beach Boys, and decided to collaborate with Redd Kross founder Steven Shane McDonald whom they brought on as record producer. But Atlantic Records executives were not impressed by the 1970s-pop-influenced demos and released The Format from its contract. Upon completing the album, Dog Problems, Ruess and Means, with help from their management company, decided to release it themselves through their newly established imprint label: The Vanity Label. Two months prior to the album's release, an MP3 version was leaked to the internet. In response, The Format decided to make the album immediately available digitally for only $7.99 via the Nettwerk Music Store, which led to the sale of over 2,000 digital copies prior to the album's official release. Dog Problems was released in stores on July 11, 2006. The day the album was released, an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 featuring The Format aired, on which they performed at a birthday-graduation party for Priya and Divya Kothapalli.

Following the release of Dog Problems, The Format gained more national attention than ever before in the band's history. Their second release received high marks from various publications, even topping some Best of 2006 lists.

In 2006 The Format toured near constantly, supporting their own album Dog Problems as well as supporting The All American Rejects in September in the UK.

In 2007, The Format played a show in Tokyo, Japan, was featured on Last Call with Carson Daly twice, co-headlined with Guster on their Campus Consciousness tour, and toured with Reubens Accomplice, Piebald, Limbeck, Steel Train, and The Honorary Title.

The Japanese edition of Dog Problems, featuring a cover of Jellyfish's "Glutton of Sympathy" as a bonus track, was released on January 24, 2007.

On June 25, 2007, celebrating the one year anniversary of Dog Problems, The Format offered the album in its entirety, including the liner notes in PDF form, for free on their official website. The offer was valid from June 25 to July 16, 2007. As of July 10, 2007, 36,000 people had downloaded the album.