When owners tell their pups to “jump”, most dogs will ask how high?

When I hear that phrase, I ask why? I mean, why risk a hip fracture? Why risk a twisted paw? Why risk leaving mother earth for even a split second?

When I bark “jump”, my owners know it’s time for them to jump off the couch and let me out, or in, depending on the circumstances. It’s to the point where I just move my jowls without making a peep. In the flash of eye, they drool and spring to life to open the door.

It’s a nice party trick but it’s got nothing on what Taiwanese dogs are doing to control their human counterparts. There’s gold in them there poops and Reuters has the full story.

TAIPEI (Reuters) – A city in central Taiwan is offering shopping vouchers to volunteer dog waste collectors in a bid to clean up a perennial problem caused by the large number of stray animals island-wide.

City officials in Taichung, which has a population of one million, said on Wednesday the environmental protection bureau would give vouchers worth 100 Taiwan dollars ($3) for every kilo of dog poo collected. In areas of the city especially affected, the reward will be for every half-kilo.

“By means of offering rewards, the bureau hopes to goad the public into spontaneous clean-up efforts that protect the environment,” the city council said on its website.

The problem began in the 1980s, when Taiwan saw a boom in pet dogs following economic success, but now residents complain about the canine menace and the government has been fighting the issue for years.

After all these years, who would have thought my bowel movements were a money making machine.

* Pic courtesy REUTERS/Simon Kwong

Bo invites everyone to read a chapter from his new book BAD TO THE BONE: Memoir Of A Rebel Doggie Blogger, released on October 1st! It’s a funny memoir about the crazy adventures we have shared together over the last 14 plus years, told through Bo’s eyes.  Want to buy a copy, click here.

Courtesy the Editors of The Bark

Can dogs really smile? The editors of The Bark decided to find out by launching a smiling dog contest at a reader’s request eight years ago – and have since received thousands of photos of pups that not only smile, but laugh, grin and even appear to share jokes with one another.

Over 400 of the best photographs from The Bark’s collection now reside in a book called DogJoy: The Happiest Dogs in the Universe. And we’ve got five copies to give away to the first five Dog Blog readers to respond to this post with a valid e-mail address (just so we can contact you for an address to send the book to.)

See more smiling dogs from DogJoy below!

Courtesy the Editors of The Bark

Courtesy the Editors of The Bark

Courtesy the Editors of The Bark

Courtesy the Editors of The Bark

Courtesy the Editors of The Bark

I want to let everyone who lives in the Atlanta area know that Horst is going to have a book signing at the Books-A-Million in Acworth, GA on Saturday.  The store is located at 3372 Cobb Parkway in the Super Target plaza.

Come join us on October 17 th from 1-3 pm and get your very own pawtographed copy of BAD TO THE BONE: Memoir Of A Rebel Doggie Blogger. Grab a couple copies, it makes a great stocking stuffer.

On Thursday, October 15th Horst is going to be on Good Day Atlanta (Fox 5), between 9-10am.  It’s his first TV appearance, we hope you’ll tune in or DVR him.

Once again I want to thank everyone for all their support, we couldn’t do this without you.  We are still working very hard to get the word out about Bo’s book, if you’ve read it and enjoyed it please pass the word on to all your friends and family.  The most powerful thing we have going for us right now is word of mouth, you would be amazed at the difference that can make.

We also appreciate those that left (or are going to) reviews on Amazon (or other book sites) because it really helps sell a book when potential buyers can read the great comments left by others.  If you stop by a Borders or Barnes & Noble please request they carry Bo’s book.  If you’re a Walmart shopper ask them to carry BAD TO THE BONE.  We are determined to get Bo in all the bookstores,  upfront where he belongs, with your help I know we can do it. Please post and crosspost about Bo, every little bit helps.

Want to buy a copy now, click here.

Here are some of the reviews we’ve been getting….

5.0 out of 5 stars The FUNNIEST book by a dog I ever read!!

October 10, 2009

By Nancy Houser (Central Nebraska) -

The book Bad to the Bone: Memoir of a Rebel Doggie Blogger has to be one of the funniest and most original books I have ever read. Where else can you spend hours laughing at a sneak-peak before sending a friend/family doggie-lover one of the most unique gifts they will ever have? In that case, you may have to order two — one for you and one as a gift!

Written by a “one-time” reject shelter dog who has his own blog online now ([...]) which is also hilariously funny….Bo tells it as he sees it. Coming from the school of hard-knocks, Bo is adopted by the Hoefingers and teaches them to care for him …. properly! And when they end up moving to Georgia, their list of pros and cons did not have Bo’s name on it, nor his best cat friend, Moose.

“My parents never considered the vast amount of land in our backyard I’d be giving up or the clear alpa dog stature I had achieved in the neighborhood. Nor was the fact considered what effect the sultry Southern weather would have on an extremely hairy dog. Nope, none of that mattered. This decision was ALL about them.”

Instead, Bo’s mother goes to the store and rents the movie “Gone with the Wind” prior to going house-hunting after they had moved to Georgia…..I tell no lies. This was done in order to forewarn Bo about their new living quarters so he would not be disappointed about where they would soon be living. This is just one of the many side-splitting moments in the book!

Buying this book is a once in a lifetime gift for yourself or someone else, a pathway to sheer adventure and pure warm fun…. from a dog’s point of view! And if that doesn’t get to your heart, nothing will.

5.0 out of 5 stars Tears of laughter

October 6, 2009

By Nancy “Checkers’ Mama” (PA, USA) -

OMD! I had tears of laughter streaming down my face as I read the book. You are an excellent writer, Bo, and I could totally relate! Anyone who has had the pleasure of the companionship of a dog should read this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Run and put your paws on this book!

Sep 30 2009

By Josee Quirion -

If you do that you will become an instant fan of Bo ! He is not just cute, he is funny and very, very smart. You want to know what your dog think about you or humans, this is the book for you. If you want to spend good time smiling and laughing, it’s the book you have to read. Dear Bo, I hope that you already figure how you will manage your fan club because it will not be very long before you get one!

Josee Quirion, Gatineau, Canada