For thousands of years, dogs have been beloved by mankind, and our poets have paid tribute to them again and again. In this collection, Homer recounts how Odysseus's loyal dog recognizes his master even after his long absence, Thomas Hardy pens poems from a pooch's perspective, and a multitude of writers—from Lord Byron to Emily Dickinson—have turned to poetry to mourn the loss of beloved dogs. Showing the wide appeal of our canine pals, here too are poems by William Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charles Baudelaire, Dorothy Parker, Michael Ondaatje, Gwendolyn Brooks, and many more.