The studio recording of the song was released as the third piece on the album Workingman's Dead in May 1970. Its first known performance was at San Francisco's California Hall, on June 7, 1969. The song became a staple of the Grateful Dead's live performances; the electric version of the song was typically featured on the band's first set. According to The Grateful Dead's 100 Essential Songs, "Dire Wolf" was played 226 times between 1969 and 1995, and was played every year, except for 1975. Sixty-three of these performances were in the first two years after the song was written. In later years, the acoustic version of the piece became more common. The structure and pace of the song did not change much over the years. It was sung most often by Garcia, although an early version featured Bob Weir on vocals, with Garcia playing the pedal steel guitar instead. An AllMusic review of this version praised Garcia's "sweet" guitar playing as a "great feature" of the song. Its lyrics have led to it being described as an essential Grateful Dead song by commentators.
