What happens when a lifelong dog lover with a passion for writing takes on a poetic challenge like no other? Colleen Rutherford Archer has written a poem for every purebred dog breed recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club. With a career spanning short stories, novels, and factual articles, Colleen has turned her deep affection for dogs into a joyful and informative tribute to the breeds we know and cherish.
Now retired from professional writing, Colleen finally found the time to take on an idea that had lingered for decades. “Years ago, an editor suggested a book of dog poems,” she recalls. “But it would have to include every recognized breed, and I didn’t have time back then. Now I do, and I decided to do it just for fun.”
Colleen’s playful verses aren’t just charming, they’re packed with carefully researched details about each breed’s origins, traits, and original purpose. “I spent over half a century researching articles, so diving into breed histories was a pleasure,” she says. “I used everything from breed books to videos of dogs with their owners.”
One of her favourite discoveries? The Norwegian Lundehund, a breed known for its flexibility, extra toes, and puffin-hunting past. “The Lundehund was definitely the most fun dog to research,” she says. “The poem practically wrote itself.”
He once hunted puffins among creviced rocks...
His forelegs can stretch out to ninety degrees,
While extra toes help him to grip rocks with ease.
Colleen’s connection to dogs runs deep, especially with the breeds she has shared her life with. Her Shetland Sheepdog Vicky earned her Utility title at just two years old. Robin, her Cairn Terrier, was a therapy dog who also played Toto in a stage production of
The Wizard of Oz. “I probably saw parts of them in the breeds I wrote about,” she says.
Over the years, her poems have drawn praise from editors, breed lovers, and even the late Barbara Woodhouse, the British dog trainer who coined the phrase “Walkies!” “She wrote to say she really enjoyed the poems and would treasure them,” Colleen says. “That meant a lot.”
So why poetry? “Poems can be a bit lighter than factual articles while still conveying information,” she explains. And in Colleen’s hands, a few clever lines can say a great deal about a dog’s temperament, its history, and why it might be a perfect match for the right home.
At the heart of it all is a deep respect for the bond between people and dogs. “Looking at what a breed was originally bred to do gives people a good hint at what that pup will grow up to be like,” she says. “Starting out with the right dog is so important, and that’s where the CKC can really help.”
Want to read the full collection? You can now explore every poem in Colleen Rutherford Archer’s delightful tribute to CKC-recognized breeds in our downloadable PDF booklet. (English only)
Click here to view the complete poem collection.