Harlan Ellison wrote the original novella A Boy and His Dog and began an adaptation for film. However, after encountering writer's block, actor/director L.Q. Jones came onboard to write the script. Jones' own company, LQ/Jaf Productions (L.Q. Jones & Friends), independently produced the film. Distributors initially were reluctant to finance the production, so Jones raised $400,000 through family and business associates. The film was shot at Pacific Ocean Park in Venice, California, and on location around Barstow, California and Coyote Dry Lake in the Mojave Desert.
