Bad to the Bone: Memoir of a Rebel Doggie Blogger / Bo Hoefinger - Book Review

From the day that Bo is brought home from the local animal shelter, he brings mirth and joy into the lives of the Hoefinger couple, as he will into your home, too, if you decide to read Bad to the Bone (Kensington Publishing Corp.; ISBN: 13: 978-0-8065-3129-8. ISBN-10: 0-8065-3129-0). As ‘Bo’ writes, “It had taken me seven years to get to a place where I finally had the four F’s: family, friends, fun, and food.” Not being content with only one dog, Bo’s human 30+ parents decide, first of all, to introduce a cat, named Moose, and later a canine sister, Copper, with whom he soon becomes firm friends. Starting out in a modest home in Albany, New York, the Hoefingers have to move cross country when Bo’s father’s employer relocates to Atlanta, Georgia. There Bo continues his freelance employment as chief squirrel and chipmunk chaser, in addition to his primary occupation as guardian of the home and trustee of the kitty litter tray (and, oh boy, does he love to nibble those morsels…).

In addition to Bo’s anecdotal recall of his emotional rollercoaster life with his family, there are also numerous illustrated lists throughout the book, covering such bone-crunching topics as ‘Top Ten Reasons I Love My Mother’, ‘My Favorite Movies/Shows’ (including Dog Day Afternoon) and ‘Favorite Non-Food Smells’ (including ‘My pee on anything’). In addition to a question and answer session with Bo, and one with his human parents, the memoir ends with a number of photographs of Bo in a number of fitting disguises, as well as with his buddies. Endearing without being soppy, Bad to the Bone is a delightful, heart-warming read. And, don’t worry, unlike many books that are written by humans, the ending isn’t sad, as Bo states in the epilogue: “I’m still typing away at the tender age of sixteen, and besides, I’m so nimble that falling off anything, other than my latest diet, isn’t going to happen.”  

  

Bo Hoefinger’s popular blog, www.BoKnowsOnline.com, receives over 100,000 page views per month. He is also the dog behind the writer chosen as the “doggie blogger” for Dogster.com, which has a membership of more than 500,000 humans. 

For any dog lover, this ‘memoir’ is a must—it’ll no doubt lead to you recalling any and all memories that you have of any dog that you have ever owned or known. [For a golden retriever / chowchow cross, Bo writes very well indeed, and deserves the golden paw print of approval.]