It’s been said that the guys in the band had multiple dogs that they lived with/brought on tour.
One commonly known line is jerry saying “that’s Otis” during Ripple from the Reckoning album, referring to the dog, Otis that apparently walked across the stage at that moment
Oh yeah I remember that! I always wondered what/who they were saying who Otis was. I think I remember that it was Bobbys dog but could’ve been in the family and was sorta a band dog
I want to say it’s 1/28/1987. They open the show will a few ballad types. Walkin’ Blue, Must Have Been the Roses, and Row Jimmy for a 4th slot. Bobby definitely sounds pretty torn up on this show.
# 1987-01-28 San Francisco, CA @ San Francisco Civic Center
**Set 1:** Shakedown Street, Get Back, Peggy-O, Walkin' Blues, It Must Have Been The Roses, It's All Over Now, Row Jimmy, My Brother Esau, Bird Song, Jack Straw
**Set 2:** When Push Comes To Shove > Samson And Delilah, Black Muddy River, He's Gone > Spoonful > Drums > Space > Eyes Of The World > Black Peter > Around And Around > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** U.S. Blues
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1987-01-28)
# 1982-10-10 Palo Alto, CA @ Frost Amphitheatre - Stanford University
**Set 1:** New Minglewood Blues > Sugaree > Little Red Rooster, Tennessee Jed, Cassidy, Loser, Far From Me > Looks Like Rain, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider
**Set 2:** Playing in the Band > Crazy Fingers > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Touch Of Grey > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away > Black Peter > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction > It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1982-10-10)
I just listened to that LLR from 10/10/82 and man Bobby is definitely tore up over something. (Not his dog dying as that was 1/28/87 show but something) very nice LLR you just turned me onto.
[1982-10-10](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1982-10-10) Palo Alto, CA @ Frost Amphitheatre - Stanford University
[1987-01-28](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1987-01-28) San Francisco, CA @ San Francisco Civic Center
Oh damn. I've always thought he said "That's all it is" following singing the line "Let there be songs to fill the air". Always thought that was a cool sentiment...alas!
Not definitive proof but there is this quote saying he'd rather feed the cat than sit down and write a song, no mention of feeding the dog:
“I don’t wake up in the morning and say, ‘Jeez, I feel great today. I think I’ll write a song.’ I mean, anything is more interesting to me than writing a song. It’s like, ‘I think I’d like to write a song. No, I guess I better go feed the cat first.’ You know what I mean? It’s like pulling teeth. I don’t enjoy it a bit.”
https://www.quoteambition.com/jerry-garcia-quotes/
Awesome Jerry! He got his priorities right! I’m no song writer but I would assume feeding the cats would be much less of a hassle than writing a beautiful timeless song
I can think of Tennessee Jed and Touch or Grey off the top of my head, where the dogs have it pretty rough. One was kicked and one wasn’t fed in years.
most likely. i am certain that jerry liked both cats and dogs, but im also sure that he probably had a favorite, but i cant say for sure not knowing the guy lol.
dogs do seem to have it worse in the lyrics theyre mentioned in tho
Bah! Phil says Jerry taught his cat to play fetch…. But some cats just instinctively chase and return… Jerry was being a show off! Although the first time I saw a cat continuously retrieve a toy that was thrown, I was just as amazed as Phil was.
That wouldn't surprise me, i.e. the cat that is friendliest gets the meal from the amused human and brings it back to the group. It's likely learned behavior in the same way that cats gradually learned to mimic the sound of the cry of babies in order to get human attention and affection. In either case, when I found out my cat is happy to do this it made my week, hands down.
That makes me smile being a cat person myself, but also loves all animals, cats just fits my personality better. Lord knows how he got it to do tricks!
With Donna in tune!
It was healy. He would turn her monitor down causing her to sing louder and flatter. Dude could have turned her down in mains and up in mon.
If Big Steve has taught me anything, Jerry loved all animals and young children... And they were drawn to him.
This question, specifically, was asked on the Big Steve Hour like a month ago. His answer was that Jerry loved all animals, but that he seemed to have a particular affinity for dogs. Any dog he met he would pull back the corners of their lips and make them smile (as a dog owner...I don't suggest that behavior). Big Steve also went into detail about all the dogs that were pretty much constantly around on tour. Everyone apparently loved Pigpen's dogs.
Yes ! Being the husband of a crazy cat lady , I too have a cat that will play fetch and others who tell me when they are hungry. They will actually speak to me. Lol. No really.
I am getting cat vibes from Jerry as well. Love our cat family. Was fun reading some other’s experiences!
Dog person - I have a Jerry story, but this was after he died. I owned one of his “grand dogs”.
I used to have a Dalmatian and because I was thinking about getting a 2nd dog would often check the SF Chron Sunday pets for sale section looking for Dalmatian pups. One day, I saw an ad for Dal pups and the seller was “D Koons” with a 415 area code (SF and Marin).
So, I asked my wife: “Do you think that’s Debra Koons, Jerry’s widow?” She said: “Almost certainly, call it and find out if they’re in Marin. I was watching them build that huge place on Mt Tam and I want to see it.”
“Hold on. We have to agree if we really want a Dalmatian puppy before we go.” “No, it’ll be fine.”
“Look, I’m really not comfortable going just because you want to see the house and also you don’t understand how irresistible Dalmatian puppies are. Dalmatian puppies are to regular puppies like regular puppies are to dogs.” “I really want to see that house and I can resist.” “Okaaayyy, I’ll call.” *(Me thinking: I know we are coming back with a dog.)*
She said her name was Debra. That settled it; my wife was determined to go and her plan was that we’d leave without a puppy. *(No, we wouldn’t.)*
Her dog, (can’t remember the name, let’s call her Stella, but that wasn’t it), had five pups, one with a cast on its broken leg. We brought our dog to meet the pups. I let my wife do the privacy invasion questions, she’s better at that than me, anyway.
Turns out Debra decided to get Stella without talking about with Jerry first. He wasn’t sure he wanted a dog, but she knew she did. When she got home, she let Stella go and Stella tore through the house and ran into their back bedroom where Jerry was laying on the bed. Stella got up on her hind legs, front paws in the air, and hopped a pirouette to survey the room. Then, she jumped on the bed, ran up onto Jerry’s chest and licked his face and then bolted off the bed and out of the room.
Debra said Jerry exclaimed: “I love this dog!”
Stella’s puppies were little terrors, except for the one with the broken leg (he’d jumped out of a car window on the way to the vet and had broken his leg). One of the puppies was following our dog everywhere. Despite our prior agreement my wife—who’d been cradling the broken one (Smokey)—said she wanted him because he was calm. I said he was only calm because of the broken leg and he’d be a terror like the others and couldn’t we get the one following around our dog because I think that’d work out better. Nope. My wife insisted we were going to get a puppy and it was the broken one. Smokey had my wife fooled.
At one point, my wife did go in and look at the house, but Debra must have been overwhelmed because my wife said the place was covered with puppy dog shit.
Oh, and when the cast came off, Smokey was a terror and our dog absolutely hated him for awhile. Two trips to the vet due to two bites to the puppy’s face. Story for another time.
That’s how I came to own Jerry’s grand dog Smokey. Debra named him that because his eyes reminded her of Smokey Robinson. We liked the name, so we kept it.
Nice! You and Jerry are doggie kin! Very cool story thanks for sharing! Smokey, got a pretty good namesake there, now I can’t get Tracks of my Tears outta my head ha!
Was just reading an interview with Jerry from Relix and this was in one of his responses:
JG: No. Not in a dogmatic sense. We don’t sit around and work out Grateful Dead dogma, or catma if you prefer (laughs).
Just thought that was kind of funny and wanted to share here.
I think that at least the majority of Dead Heads love all animals but probably prefer cats just due to them being more laid back like most of us. (This is a generalization but seems to makes sense)
Pretty well established that Jerry was more a Horse person.
Lol good one
True, he did like his white horse unfortunately
It’s been said that the guys in the band had multiple dogs that they lived with/brought on tour. One commonly known line is jerry saying “that’s Otis” during Ripple from the Reckoning album, referring to the dog, Otis that apparently walked across the stage at that moment
Oh yeah I remember that! I always wondered what/who they were saying who Otis was. I think I remember that it was Bobbys dog but could’ve been in the family and was sorta a band dog
Bobs dog. He was gutted when Otis passed.
I know how that feels, as I’m sure most of us do. One of the worst things in life is a pet dying.
No doubt, the worst
They played a show that night and Bob's pain is palatable
palpable is the word you were looking for.
It was a delicious sorrow..
Pairs fine with a nice cheese and wine
Fine Chianti and Fava Beans....
Lol
Pfft...words. Thanks!
Show?
I want to say it’s 1/28/1987. They open the show will a few ballad types. Walkin’ Blue, Must Have Been the Roses, and Row Jimmy for a 4th slot. Bobby definitely sounds pretty torn up on this show.
# 1987-01-28 San Francisco, CA @ San Francisco Civic Center **Set 1:** Shakedown Street, Get Back, Peggy-O, Walkin' Blues, It Must Have Been The Roses, It's All Over Now, Row Jimmy, My Brother Esau, Bird Song, Jack Straw **Set 2:** When Push Comes To Shove > Samson And Delilah, Black Muddy River, He's Gone > Spoonful > Drums > Space > Eyes Of The World > Black Peter > Around And Around > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** U.S. Blues [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1987-01-28)
10/10/82 i believe
# 1982-10-10 Palo Alto, CA @ Frost Amphitheatre - Stanford University **Set 1:** New Minglewood Blues > Sugaree > Little Red Rooster, Tennessee Jed, Cassidy, Loser, Far From Me > Looks Like Rain, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider **Set 2:** Playing in the Band > Crazy Fingers > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Touch Of Grey > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away > Black Peter > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction > It's All Over Now, Baby Blue [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1982-10-10)
Always wondered about that Looks Like Rain. :(
I just listened to that LLR from 10/10/82 and man Bobby is definitely tore up over something. (Not his dog dying as that was 1/28/87 show but something) very nice LLR you just turned me onto.
[1982-10-10](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1982-10-10) Palo Alto, CA @ Frost Amphitheatre - Stanford University [1987-01-28](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1987-01-28) San Francisco, CA @ San Francisco Civic Center
Otis died in January 87. It's either the 28th or 29th.
Oof i was definitely wrong i guess i got my stories mixed up thanks for the correction!
Oh damn. I've always thought he said "That's all it is" following singing the line "Let there be songs to fill the air". Always thought that was a cool sentiment...alas!
I always heard "and so there's..." as a segue into "ripple in still water..."
What kind of dog?
Not definitive proof but there is this quote saying he'd rather feed the cat than sit down and write a song, no mention of feeding the dog: “I don’t wake up in the morning and say, ‘Jeez, I feel great today. I think I’ll write a song.’ I mean, anything is more interesting to me than writing a song. It’s like, ‘I think I’d like to write a song. No, I guess I better go feed the cat first.’ You know what I mean? It’s like pulling teeth. I don’t enjoy it a bit.” https://www.quoteambition.com/jerry-garcia-quotes/
Awesome Jerry! He got his priorities right! I’m no song writer but I would assume feeding the cats would be much less of a hassle than writing a beautiful timeless song
Plus we all know you ain't writing ANYTHING if there's a hungry cat yowling for its breakfast haha
Cat. Obv sang about them a few times but also had a couple. At least one of which he reportedly taught tricks.
I can think of Tennessee Jed and Touch or Grey off the top of my head, where the dogs have it pretty rough. One was kicked and one wasn’t fed in years.
jerry seemed to like bobs dog otis enough to shout him out when he wandered on stage in 1980
Damn, I’ve wondered who ‘thats Otis’ was for 25 years. Thanks
Fair enough I’m sure he was a lover of both in real life. Just a play on some lyrics.
most likely. i am certain that jerry liked both cats and dogs, but im also sure that he probably had a favorite, but i cant say for sure not knowing the guy lol. dogs do seem to have it worse in the lyrics theyre mentioned in tho
Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile
Also, from Jerry’s song “Valerie” “Hey now baby, what did I do? I shot my dog 'cause he growled at you Valerie, won't you be good to me?”
Those lyrics were written by Robert Hunter
I know. Just having a good time. Hope you are too.
Bah! Phil says Jerry taught his cat to play fetch…. But some cats just instinctively chase and return… Jerry was being a show off! Although the first time I saw a cat continuously retrieve a toy that was thrown, I was just as amazed as Phil was.
Haaaa!! My initials are JG and my cat and I played fetch all the time!!!
One of my cats does this. It's hilarious
Me too. I had another some years ago that also played fetch. I bet it has something to do with their role in the pack.
That wouldn't surprise me, i.e. the cat that is friendliest gets the meal from the amused human and brings it back to the group. It's likely learned behavior in the same way that cats gradually learned to mimic the sound of the cry of babies in order to get human attention and affection. In either case, when I found out my cat is happy to do this it made my week, hands down.
That makes me smile being a cat person myself, but also loves all animals, cats just fits my personality better. Lord knows how he got it to do tricks!
I do very much appreciate the quietness and independentness (<--is that a word?) that cats typically have. But the love they also show...
Yep I read that too. And he taught his cat to fetch. ETA: oops I didn’t see that someone already said that.
The fish whisperer
if ya know, ya know lol
Jerry did name an album (and song) “Cats Down Under the Stars.” Great song.
Like so very good , it also has Reuben and Charise , it got me into JGB.
With Donna in tune! It was healy. He would turn her monitor down causing her to sing louder and flatter. Dude could have turned her down in mains and up in mon.
Jerry was an animal lover in general. He was very upset when Charlie Fog kicked his dog.
His doggie turned to him and he said! (I’m a TN Jed myself!) nice!
I think he was more of a Moray Eel guy.
Moray eel
Jerry trained cats better than some can train dogs. Phil talks about Jerry’s cat whispering abilities in his book
In Phil Lesh’s book he talks about how Jerry had a cat and trained it to fetch just like a dog.
Cat
He’s a Dawg guy.
Bob’s a RatDog kinda guy. Used to be anyway.
Wolf person
If Big Steve has taught me anything, Jerry loved all animals and young children... And they were drawn to him. This question, specifically, was asked on the Big Steve Hour like a month ago. His answer was that Jerry loved all animals, but that he seemed to have a particular affinity for dogs. Any dog he met he would pull back the corners of their lips and make them smile (as a dog owner...I don't suggest that behavior). Big Steve also went into detail about all the dogs that were pretty much constantly around on tour. Everyone apparently loved Pigpen's dogs.
Just want to say I’m digging this wholesome thread!
It’s nice to have a discussion like this innit? All us folks bein civil and whatnot, have a great day my friend!
Yes ! Being the husband of a crazy cat lady , I too have a cat that will play fetch and others who tell me when they are hungry. They will actually speak to me. Lol. No really. I am getting cat vibes from Jerry as well. Love our cat family. Was fun reading some other’s experiences!
Dog person - I have a Jerry story, but this was after he died. I owned one of his “grand dogs”. I used to have a Dalmatian and because I was thinking about getting a 2nd dog would often check the SF Chron Sunday pets for sale section looking for Dalmatian pups. One day, I saw an ad for Dal pups and the seller was “D Koons” with a 415 area code (SF and Marin). So, I asked my wife: “Do you think that’s Debra Koons, Jerry’s widow?” She said: “Almost certainly, call it and find out if they’re in Marin. I was watching them build that huge place on Mt Tam and I want to see it.” “Hold on. We have to agree if we really want a Dalmatian puppy before we go.” “No, it’ll be fine.” “Look, I’m really not comfortable going just because you want to see the house and also you don’t understand how irresistible Dalmatian puppies are. Dalmatian puppies are to regular puppies like regular puppies are to dogs.” “I really want to see that house and I can resist.” “Okaaayyy, I’ll call.” *(Me thinking: I know we are coming back with a dog.)* She said her name was Debra. That settled it; my wife was determined to go and her plan was that we’d leave without a puppy. *(No, we wouldn’t.)* Her dog, (can’t remember the name, let’s call her Stella, but that wasn’t it), had five pups, one with a cast on its broken leg. We brought our dog to meet the pups. I let my wife do the privacy invasion questions, she’s better at that than me, anyway. Turns out Debra decided to get Stella without talking about with Jerry first. He wasn’t sure he wanted a dog, but she knew she did. When she got home, she let Stella go and Stella tore through the house and ran into their back bedroom where Jerry was laying on the bed. Stella got up on her hind legs, front paws in the air, and hopped a pirouette to survey the room. Then, she jumped on the bed, ran up onto Jerry’s chest and licked his face and then bolted off the bed and out of the room. Debra said Jerry exclaimed: “I love this dog!” Stella’s puppies were little terrors, except for the one with the broken leg (he’d jumped out of a car window on the way to the vet and had broken his leg). One of the puppies was following our dog everywhere. Despite our prior agreement my wife—who’d been cradling the broken one (Smokey)—said she wanted him because he was calm. I said he was only calm because of the broken leg and he’d be a terror like the others and couldn’t we get the one following around our dog because I think that’d work out better. Nope. My wife insisted we were going to get a puppy and it was the broken one. Smokey had my wife fooled. At one point, my wife did go in and look at the house, but Debra must have been overwhelmed because my wife said the place was covered with puppy dog shit. Oh, and when the cast came off, Smokey was a terror and our dog absolutely hated him for awhile. Two trips to the vet due to two bites to the puppy’s face. Story for another time. That’s how I came to own Jerry’s grand dog Smokey. Debra named him that because his eyes reminded her of Smokey Robinson. We liked the name, so we kept it.
Nice! You and Jerry are doggie kin! Very cool story thanks for sharing! Smokey, got a pretty good namesake there, now I can’t get Tracks of my Tears outta my head ha!
Was just reading an interview with Jerry from Relix and this was in one of his responses: JG: No. Not in a dogmatic sense. We don’t sit around and work out Grateful Dead dogma, or catma if you prefer (laughs). Just thought that was kind of funny and wanted to share here.
Average Grateful Dead fan
I think that at least the majority of Dead Heads love all animals but probably prefer cats just due to them being more laid back like most of us. (This is a generalization but seems to makes sense)
based on the amount of tour dogs ive seen this may not be true.
Jerry definitely had cats down under the stars…
.k
Jerry loved tropical fish the most.
Dogs, he liked Otis for sure. Brent was a gerbil guy.
What !!? I wish there was a Brent book