"Too Many Puppies" is a single from the band Primus

Primus (band)

Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...

 and the second single from their 1990 studio debut album Frizzle Fry

Frizzle Fry

-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – electric bass, electric fiddle bass, string bass, vocals*Larry LaLonde – electric guitar, acoustic guitar*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drumsProduction*Todd Huth – second acoustic guitar on "Toys"...

. It was the first Primus song bassist and lead singer Les Claypool

Les Claypool

Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...

 ever composed. A reworked version featuring second drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia can be found on their Rhinoplasty EP

Rhinoplasty (album)

-Critical reception:In his review for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes the EP as "another small treasure for fans." He notes that "the band hasn't chosen any surprising covers" but "makes up for it with great performances" and "startling arrangements that are often unpredictable",...

.

The song is mostly about the band's reflection on war, and how many soldiers are too young to go off to war, parodying the idea of "the dogs of war

The Dogs of War

-Literature:*The dogs of war , a phrase from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar*The Dogs of War , a 1974 novel by Frederick Forsyth*Dogs of War , a 1994 series published by Defiant...

" by claiming the dogs are merely puppies. The song was written shortly before the first Persian Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

 and was about violence in the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 during that time period.

A video was in production for this song, but the project was canceled when Primus was signed to Interscope Records

Interscope Records

Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

. The video has been a rarity until 2003, when it was released on Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People

Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People

Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son, and the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator...

.

Occasionally, when playing the song live, Les Claypool played the opening riff of Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

's "Master of Puppets

Master of Puppets (song)

"Master of Puppets" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the title track and was released as the first single from their album of the same name....

" as a bridge before the final verse.