Dogs in France

This one is for all of my dog-loving friends.

France is a great place for dogs. They are everywhere, in the shops and restaurants, and on the buses and trains. I've noticed that the dogs here are much better behaved than the dogs in the US. I guess it's because they get to go everywhere and, thus, being out in the city isn't a big deal so they don't act crazy. I would say it's more common to see a dog who is not on a leash, than one who is on a leash. Usually they are just following alongside their person. They greet each other calmly and I haven't seen any dog-dog aggression, which is so common in Austin.

In the old parts of the cities where the streets are very narrow and there aren't many cars, the dogs are free to roam everywhere. People bring their dogs to work with them and the dogs know the neighborhood and run around visiting everyone. The person doesn't seem to worry at all about where the dog is. I've seen a dog, who I think belongs to a waitress in one of the restaurants, roaming around blocks away from the restaurant. He's quite popular.

The other day on the busiest street in Nice, I saw a dog roaming alone. He would stop at the cross-streets, sit, and watch the people next to him. When the people would start to walk, the dog would know that it was safe to cross the street, too. It's amazing. Mija and Calvin wouldn't make it 5 minutes here.