Beijing: At 3 pm every afternoon, a small crowd of shrieking fans gathers on a little-known street in China’s Xi’an city for their very own celebrity sighting, as Gou Gou the poodle steps out for his daily stroll, walking hand-in-hand with his owner – on two feet.

Owner Wang Guoqiang, 66, said he taught the poodle to walk on two legs as a puppy and talented Gou Gou had mastered the art by the time he was 18 months old. But that’s not all he can do. “When I play my accordion, he barks with the rhythm and even dances if the song is suitable for it.”

Gou Gou can even answer the phone with his paws. “Sometimes the person hangs up when they hear him bark – Gou Gou knows when they have and then he puts the receiver down too.”