Dog Show

Poems

By: Billy Collins

Narrated by: Billy Collins

New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins captures the essence and mystery of dogs in this special collection of poems inspired by our beloved companions, with striking watercolor canine portraits by Pamela Sztybel.

“Collins remains the most companionable of poetic companions.” —The New York Times

Billy Collins’s Dog Show celebrates the joy of our canine best friends, honoring the love we feel for the animals who play such vital roles in our lives. In twenty-five poems, Collins distills the many ways dogs warm our hearts, from the happiness we experience as we watch a dog run unencumbered by our burdens, to the silliness of cradling a dog in our arms as we step on the scale together. Turning his inimitable eye and ear to the complexities of dog behavior, Collins ponders all that these winning creatures give us and what we learn from them about ourselves.

For more than four decades Collins has delighted readers with his insight, wit, and clear poetic voice. In Dog Show, “America’s favorite poet” (The Wall Street Journal) illuminates America’s favorite pet (sorry, cat lovers). Accompanied by Pamela Sztybel’s watercolors, which effortlessly depict a dog’s humble grace, Dog Show reveals the profound role these majestic animals play in our lives and the meaning they give us.

*Includes a downloadable PDF of Pamela Sztybel's paintings from the book

Critic reviews

“Collins remains the most companionable of poetic companions.”—The New York Times

“The slim volume of 25 poems by Billy Collins, the former U.S. Poet Laureate, is a tribute to canines and is complete with splendid watercolor illustrations by Pamela Sztybel. Best of all, you do not have to own one as a pet (or, more to the truth, be owned by one) to revel in verses like this.”—Air Mail

“[Dog Show] displays how full of feelings each individual canine is and how precious the friendship of a dog can be. The pleasures here are many for Collins fans, dog lovers, and any reader looking for clever, poignant, and spirit-lifting poems accompanied by deft, lively, and affectionate paintings.”—Booklist

“Dog Show is a heartwarming collection regardless of whether or not you have a dog. In fact, there is even a poem directed at cat owners. Most of all, everyone will gain some important insight into the world of dogs and those who love them. When you read a Billy Collins poem, it is entertainment, almost as if you are listening to a beautiful song. Take a moment to enjoy where his poetry takes you.”—Bookreporter

Dogs, the perfect subject

What’s not to love? Dogs and Billy Collins—a perfect morning spent together with me in my favorite chair in winter.

Poetry for Man and Best Friend

Being a lover of dogs and Billy Collins, I was drawn to this book after hearing about it somewhere and listening to Billy Collins read from the book during a Rattle Cast episode. I’ve enjoyed this poet’s other work and this book didn’t disappoint.

The poems in this collection, like Collins’ other work, are easy to understand. I loved how they portrayed dogs in many ways and enjoyed Billy Collins’ excellent narration of this Audible version.

“One Reason I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House” offers a humorous look at dogs, left unattended in a yard, who keep barking for no reason. Since this is one of my pet peeves, I could relate. I was struck by the irony of “Trying to Write a Dog Poem in a House with Two Cats.”

Having some vision, I viewed the accompanying PDF file containing the watercolors. I couldn’t make many of them out because they were too small, and I found no way to have them described. But I’m sure those with better eyes would enjoy them. You don’t need to see the pictures to appreciate the book.
If you love dogs, even if you’re not into poetry, Dog Show is for you. Thanks for reading.

Warm, accessible, and down to earth 🐕🐩🦮🐕‍🦺

I don't read poetry much at all. But when Ann Patchett recommends a book as strongly as she did this one it's hard not to take notice.

Tho I enjoyed one of his other collections, Water, Water, a bit more l think this one is still lovely. Well, aside from a couple of poems that were sad. I love the author's perspective, his wit, his intelligence, and his excellent narration. He makes poetry accessible to those of us who seldom read it.

Be sure to check out the PDF in your library, the dog paintings are so well done.

Billy Collins is a great poet and has wonderful humor and certainly loves his dogs.

I only wish the poems were separated by silence a little bit more. I wish there were more poems!

Reflections on Dogs

Loved the paradigm shift of looking at the world from the perspective of dogs’ points of views.