Does France allow Service Dogs in its parks and museums?
5
A most enjoyable story and Pip sounds like a good boy. Our last dog was a great traveler; current one, not so much. Places that love dogs are places to love.
5
Lovely article, but why the Regina. Except for location it's way overpriced, noisy and totally touristy.
3
The French may love dogs, but the Parisians are too haughty to pick up their poop. I've never seen so much dog excrement on sidewalks in years as I did in Paris. They need to learn about cleaning up after their chiens.
3
This appears to be an area where humans are easily retrained. Public dispensers of plastic bags and public shaming go hand in glove. Oh! that and relatively cheap dna identification of the waste when necessary.
I grew in Paris and we learned quickly to look down and step aside. Otherwise, we had to clean our shoes before going back home. Dog owners in France are the worst. They would never pick up after their dogs.
I loved reading this article. This is excellent writing hard to experience these days! I loved every single word. My favorite part was when Pip lifted his leg to pee on the sculpture of rocks at the elitist art gallery. Pip totally gets the junk that pretends to be art these days. Great comment on his part. He is totally smart!
2
Seriously? It's all about $$$$.
5
We have taken our dogs to France many times. Unfortunately we have found over the years that Paris has become less dog friendly. The countryside is much more accustomed to having dogs in the restaurants, etc. One serious issue we’ve encountered: France has parasitic diseases not usually found in the US including babesiosis and leishmaniasis. In fact one of our dogs nearly died on his first trip to the south of France. We were told that vaccines for these parasitic diseases were not available in the US so each time we take our dogs to France we have them vaccinated as soon as we arrive. On a three month trip to France, we were unhappy to discover that one of our dogs did not take well to being in close proximity to other dogs in restaurants. Fortunately we found a dog sitter and everyone was happy with that arrangement.
4
Entitled tourists bring their dogs to restaurants in France. Please don't promote the idea that others find this acceptable. Not all french people are obsessed with dogs, as the author seems to think. And if they were, it would still be highly unlikely for them to bring their pet to an indoor restaurant.
5
I beg to differ., I have seen dogs in 3 star Michelin restaurants.
14
Delightful story! What a lovely break from reading about all the horrible things going on in our world today.
12
Q: Can a person from the US w/o an EU passport/residency permit/US military or diplomatic status obtain an EU Pet Passport for the dog/cat? Neither the USDA site nor any embassy/consulate/USDA vet has been able to tell me. The USDA paperwork is expensive and always a last-minute rush (must be stamped within 10 days of entry into the EU).
Thanks!
Reading the (fortunately few) negative comments about this essay reminds me vividly of how much more I like dogs than certain kinds of people.
23
I was happy and glad to read that there are still honest folks in the world, i.e., Pip, a.k.a. Pierre, flying on Air France as a regular canine rather than the owners trying to pass him off as a "service companion" just to save a few bucks.
10
I do know of people who do this, but I don't think it's to "save a few bucks." (For the record, I never have.) It's because planes require dogs over a very small size to travel in cargo, and it's hard to forget the horror stories of dogs lost or killed that way. It happens to multiple dogs every year. Imagine your trusting dog looking uncertainly at you as his kennel is taken away... and you never see him again. Would you trust your child to the same process that loses luggage? We could all use a better procedure for traveling with our animal companions -- though alas, I don't know what that is, because any dog that travels in the cabin might infringe on the space needed to pack as many passengers into as tight a prison as possible. ...Now that I think about it, this may be a problem caused by the airlines trying to save a few bucks, rather than the passengers.
5
It's surprising to me to hear that the French have steep fines for failing to clean up after your dog. when I was there last fall, there was such an astonishing amount of dog poop everywhere, looking up from your path was I'll afvised.
5
yep - yesterday I read about Jeremy Clarkson(Top Gear)'s book saying Italians just ignore laws they don't like - over the border the French may do something similar.
I do remember my discomfort at trying to enjoy my meal in a restaurant while a couple of dogs were being treated like royalty at the next table over my shoulder (shudder - I'm not a dog lover).
C'est La Vie. It's their culture for good or not so good. They eat rabbits too.
The same happens here in Georgia. People here ignore laws and ordinances they don't like. And laws are enforced arbitrarily by law enforcement.
1
Laughed out loud throughout this thoroughly charming article. Pip/Pierre resembles our beloved (newly 13 but could easily pass for 6 or 7) rat-Jack Russell terrier mix named Libby, in both looks and temperament. Delightful read!
7
Thank you for this article! We move to Paris in May with our two cardigan corgis, Pip (we will have to think about what to do about his name!) and Layla. Reading this article gives us hope that the dogs will help make the transition easier!
6
It will probably be easier for Pip if you choose a name that rhymes. Chip? Flip? Kip?
(Now I'm going to look up what "Pip" means in French so I can figure out why it's problematic ....)
8
What a delightful story! Makes me want to take my little furry friend for a Paris vacation!
7
Recommended for those who enjoyed this article:
6 skillion YouTube dog videos.
Or, stretching things a bit, maybe even 8 skillion YouTube cat videos.
Some are in French, or may contain catchy, fresh, French references, like dogs wearing berets. Or, one that never gets tiresome, dogs dressed like Marcel Marceau trying to get out of a box...yet unlike the silent Mr. Marceau, with a lot of barking. Some may wear funny glasses and buck teeth like that French phenomenon, Jerry Lewis.
There are also videos about "comfort dogs", furry, little things, that don't like air pressure changes, and that you don't want to sit next to for 8 hours, New York to Paris.
You can binge-watch. C'est manifique!
2
Was very surprised that this article was highlighted by the NYT. I had a higher opinion of you. Taking your dog to Paris does not make you "blend in" and feel Parisian--or at least it shouldn't. Why not spend a little time learning some of the language, culture, dining habits,etc. All it takes is a quick read of some amazing books, Patricia Wells, David Leibovitz - and you would feel more comfortable at a fine dining establishment in Paris or a cafe or bistro -- and oh, by the way, know what you could and could not do with your dog in Paris. Not impressed and felt it was a waste of my time to have read the article.
9
It's wonderful that the Times publishes a wide variety of types of travel essays. I loved this one. You did not. Vive la difference!
33
In the end, I guess it's not the command and fluent speaking of the language that enamors the French to outsiders, but rather their dogs. Who knew?
This open hearted welcoming and acceptance of dogs by the French altered my view and assumptions of that country irrevocably. So happy to read that dogs are loved as much, if not more, than humans. All these four legged creatures crave and require in life is food, water, shelter, safety and unconditional love. That's all I really need in life as well.
13
I was curious and checked out these dog friendly hotels in Paris, one is $700+ a night and the other is $1000+ a night in September. I wonder if hotels that cater to the non-wealthy are as welcoming.
5
Many are! I've never spent anywhere near the amounts cited, with my dog. However, we did have to forgo the special bed, and were never offered dog tags...
6
AirBnB. Just put ‘pets accepted’ in your search criteria. I’ve stayed in lovely inexpensive places all over France.
6
Hotels in all price ranges accept dogs, most with an extra fee. Most restaurants do as well (without fee).
2
Lovely story. You are great dog parents.
12
Instead of my dog, I brought my bicycle to France and traveled all over on it. That is also a great way to be accepted by the French, especially if you wear the jersey that I wore: https://goo.gl/AaYkFG
9
Love the jersey. I expect you had French people reminding you that Lady Liberty was originally their country's gift to ours.
3
I've been wanting to bring my dog along on a trip to Europe, but at 65 lbs she's too large to travel in the airplane cabin without service dog status. If she were Pip's size, she'd have a lot of stamps in her passport.
Enjoyable read.
7
I don’t like to share restaurants and shops with dogs.
8
I loved this article after so much heavy news. I love all animals although I am a cat person. Not veg but I have not eaten anything mammaliam since the early 1980s.
This was a welcome coumterfoil to a horrible story from Vancouver Island. A pet minerature pig, rescued and rehabilitated by the BCSPCA was butchered and eaten AND PUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA within a month. Excuse..could not look after it. The BCSPCA says they can do nothing. As a regular donor I am incensed. I am trying to contact them to suggest they sue these creeps in Small Claims Court for the cost of care. Not only does Canada have very different gun laws but we do not have the crazy big lawsuits as in the USA.
5
Lunchtime at the upscale Maison du Caviar in Paris. A well-dressed lady arrives with her handbag dog, which installs itself on its own chair at her table, awaiting its smoked salmon. Two women, evidently foreign, dining a few feet away, cast a dirty look at the dog. Sensing their hostility, he starts barking at them. The women summon the maître d'hôtel. He listens to their story without much apparent interest, offers a very Gallic shrug of the shoulders (shoulders elevated, arms outstretched, palms forward), and suggests that if they didn't like the dog, they can leave. Which they do.
30
Love it! Thank you for this story; better than the article.
3
Oh, my dog Zucchero and I landed in CDG last spring after an uneventful flight on Air France (“Will he behave himself?” asked the woman across the aisle. “I hope we’ll all behave ourselves,” I said. “He was a prince,” she told me when I awoke to land. “Never moved, peeped, or shut his eyes.” Zucchi and I skipped Paris this trip and lit out from CDG via the smallest roads possible. We arrived in time for a 9pm dinner at a lovely old chateau outside La Chaise-Dieu in the Haute Loire where Z was welcome in the dining room. For the next few days we found ourselves welcome wherever we went (unlike Pip/Pierre, Zucchi, also a timid rescue dog with an unfortunate former life in Georgia —8 old rib fractures — is silent and never met another dog he didn’t like. Or love. He had several amerous encounters. But.) We visited old monasteries, bars, many restaurants, and several supermarkets. We finally arrived at our place in Italy — which isn’t France, dog-wise, but so much better than the US as to make no difference.
18
Not sure I'd take a dog with barking issues on a plane, to a restaurant, etc., but if you must, consider bringing along a tin of Snout Soother. It's a blend of coconut butter and other oils to moisturize canine noses. When I use it on my pug, she attempts licking it off as if there's no tomorrow. Can't lick and bark at the same time. Issue solved.
7
Some commenters think this is a fluff/silly piece, and sure, it kind of is; I'm sure the authors wouldn't disagree that it's neither high culture nor incredibly important national and international reporting. But you know what? It was a true pleasure to read at the end of another crummy week in America. Thanks for the break, Ms. Sullivan, Mr. Kleinfield, and Pip/Pierre.
26
After living in Paris for several decades, I recently moved to Medellin Colombia. My Westie, Alfie, was at the root of several enduring friendships in Paris and I could not imagine a more dog-friendly place. Until we landed here. Dogs are an obsession in Medellin. Most restaurants accept dogs, as do parks large and small. In the leafy suburb where I live, motorists will slow or stop if they see a dog waiting to cross the street, even if the dog isn’t moving.
Every street has a pet supply store and groomers abound, though they seem to have perfected one cut only, essentially a Schnauzer cut, which they apply to every breed from spaniel to dachshund to poodle. Fortunately, they will modify it if asked and voilà a decent Westie cut.
Re: uncaged dogs in the metro, this is a rule which, like many French rules, was made to be selectively applied. The agents in the metro doted on Alfie as much as any passerby. Large aggressive dogs are usually shown the exit.
And, secret tip not to be widely disseminated: Running parallel to the section of the Champs Élysées between Avenue Matignon and the place de la Concorde is a huge stretch of lawn sufficiently separated from the avenue that unleashed dogs may safely run. Rarely has a gardien bothered our group of dog owners on that side, although the more formal gardens of the Allée Marcel Proust on the other side of the avenue are occasionally patrolled.
7
Written for Americans who find this remarkable, Isn't it a pity that the United States is not more welcoming of our best friends.
16
Visit Portland, Maine or Burlington, Vermont. Dogs welcome virtually anywhere. It's delightful for someone like me.
9
It’s not the the dogs, it’s the people who walk them.
2
Most dog friendly country I have been to is Argentina. They adore dogs and have statues for El Lobo. B.A. the capital, has 100s of dog walkers and some walk up to 10-12 fifteen dogs at the time. And yes the French love their dogs too and most are so well-behaved, you don’t even realize there’s a big dog at the next table until they rise to leave. Been we should take our dog there for a long visit.
2
Glad to hear that even the French dislike dogs in their supermarkets. I wish it were like that here in California.
I love my two dogs, my friends' and family's dogs, and the dozen or so I've fostered, but they don't belong in certain places, like grocery stores and indoor restaurants. It's a shame some pet owners feel so entitled.
But what's with "no dogs in parks"? That's just not right. The French aren't willing to pick up after their dogs in green spaces, but I guess they can leave it to the staff at the restaurant. I'm glad I'm not a waiter in Paris.
5
It’s much worse when you know what hits the fan!
1
SO happy to read this fun article. Our little dog Mya, goes with us almost everywhere and when we take long walks, in her stroller. But a word of warning - please don't EVER tie your dog in the front or outside the supermarket or the rare place he/she is unwelcome!! One of us always goes in and the other stays outside with the dog. Dogs get stolen, and sold. But yes, for SO many reasons, Vive la France!!!
5
We all know that dogs are so frequently banned from public places in America because of that bane of civilized existence, the liability lawyer. Countries in which this malevolent species is rare enjoy all manner of freedoms unknown here.
Malaysia, for example.
I recently checked into a cabin in a small seaside hotel on the north shore of Penang, and found, to my delight, an ancient black labrador lying on my bed.
He thumped his tail lazily on my pillow; I went back to reception to inquire.
"You're in room 14?" they said. "Oh yes: Jonathan. You'll find that at sunset he'll get under the bed, to make room for you. He's your dog for the duration. Have fun with him."
Sure enough, Jonathan never left my side. We swam together, dined together, went shopping together sunbathed together, read books together...And when I checked out a week later he seemed genuinely sad to see me go - he stood at the hotel gate and whimpered.
And then it was back home, to lawyer-land. The first day back I tried to hand back a cable box at a Time Warner store, but I had my elderly short-haired pointer with me. No dogs, they said fiercely, and three burly men blocked my entrance.
Usually I'm delighted to be back in New York, but not on this occasion. I missed Jonathan at that moment, and probably whimpered at the memory of him - more civilized the those three burly men, and more so, I daresay, than every liability lawyer in town.
19
Taking a dog into a restaurant is exceedingly disgusting. I have actually seen dogs sitting on the laps of eaters in restaurants in France. Just like any place that provides food for humans (markets, butchers, bakeries, etc.) dogs should not be allowed in restaurants and their ilk- ever.
5
In some localities, it's up to the restaurant to decide its own policy. Then those who don't wish to see dogs in a dining room can choose other restaurants.
11
My husband and I always share our ice cream with our beloved Princess.
She also slept in our bed for years. But now that she’s an old lady and slipped a disc jumping off the bed, she stays on ground level.
Here in the USA, many folks use doggy strollers.
One man’s repulsive is another’s pleasure.
1
I live in Nice with my mini dachshund, who has made friends for me everywhere we have traveled. I might point out that the Times recently ran a snarky article about dogs on planes. Seems a bit hypocritical.
3
One point not made in this rather crazy account of a couple of New Yorkers taking their rat terrier on vacation with them to France in order to not seem like tourists: dogs are overwhelmingly more welcome in restaurants here than kids.
8
I hear ya Christopher. Our beloved lab always had better manners and behavior than our grandkids.
8
This is one of the best travel articles I've read in a while. Good job.
12
Too bad you three didn't eat at that lovely resto near Pont Neuf: Le Chien Qui Fume.
4
Lovely piece! Multiple chuckles over "Pierre's" adventure.
5
If Pip had kept his name in Paris, your experience, and this article, would have gone from merely interesting to viral material.
If Pierre got a kick out of Apple techies surrounding him, imagine what Pip could have gotten.
Next time, go back to Paris with Pip, but instead of being the respectable bourgeois strolling along the Seine, be 50 shades darker and stroll into areas that never make the NYT travel section. (How do you find such addresses? Well, with Pip, you'll find out.)
1
such a nice escape for you two and your four legged friend from the madness of the States. Makes me realize i have wasted my life staying in country
6
Paris, it’s gone to the dogs! LOL
4
This dog thing has gone to far.
Why don’t you take a person with you instead.
2
Three’s a crowd—unless the third’s a dog!
3
Obvious.
Hope you didn't embrace the oh so Parisian tendency to leave Pip's poop where it lay. J'adore Paris and spend 3-6 weeks there every few summers. What I do not love is dodging the dog poop piles on the street that seem to accumulate before any street sweepers arrive. yuk. And by the way, we still look like tourists. And this is bothersome why?
5
I've often wondered why Parisians don't pick up dog poop. And every other way, their city is gorgeously maintained. So strange.
2
Just hard to be stylish while doing so!
This is absurd.
55
It's a sweet canine-interest story.
As Granny taught me, " if you don't have something nice to say...."
11
Great story! There is a collar that vibrates - works very well!
Co-signed a resident of Paris.
Enjoyed Pip's travels very much. You found one of the keys to acceptance. When my French in-laws retired from Paris to a village in Burgundy, they were considered outsiders by the locally-born for the first five years. Only shopkeepers greeted them. Then they got their first dog, a Boxer, and to their surprise the villagers started greeting them, talking to them, and eventually accepting them as one of their own. Three cheers for dogs breaking the ice!
50
Loved reading about your trip with Pip. Nice job Susan & Sonny!!!
18
So fun to read this! We often have our dog in France, and at restaurants he is normally served a bowl of water before we’ve even picked up our menus. We’re also sure he makes a mental note of it each time.
27
Austria feels similarly about dogs, just don't take them to church.
7
Wait until you visit Tallinn, Estonia with your Pip!
Dog heaven and a gorgeous town in every way.
15
France and Dogs. As good as it gets!
43
As I brace for the inevitable snarls of the uber-hygienic Type-As, I'd like to express my admiration for the French canine culture. Vive la France!
Vive les chiens!
65
What I admire about the French is that they are not constrained by American values. For example, there are nearly a dozen boucherie chevaline (horsemeat butchers) in Paris alone. Vive la France! Let’s lighten up about dogs in restaurants and supermarkets and children’s playgrounds, and broaden our culinary horizon by allowing horsemeat to be utilized by our fast food industry at the very least.
1
It appears that the seemingly far fetched notion that your dog would allow you to fit in turned out to be pretty much true. I enjoyed the tone of the account, many more practical details than your typical travel article on France. And you kept to the subject, not diverting us with too many tourist recommendations. And I guess that's pretty much the point -- you can go with your dog pretty much everywhere you can go without him.
I sit for two small barking dogs. There is no cure for one. But if I tire out the other, he stops barking. I'd find somewhere where Pip can run to his heart's content off leash. If he stops barking after that, you've got something of a solution.
7
Terrific and funny article.
Taking a cat (or two) on a trip to Rome would be a perfect sequel
I look forward to it!
12
I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!
Sounds like the most wonderful trip.
The detail of what they did, where they
went and, especially, how Pierre
humanizes humans. So refreshing
to read something so full of love and good times.
THANK YOU
45
I am glad that Pip and his family had such a wonderful trip to France. I firmly believe that well-behaved dogs should be welcome everywhere. But, I would like to point out to readers of this article that dogs are NOT welcome in Parisian parks (with the exception of a couple of very large ones, such as the Bois du Boulogne). Not the Tuileries, not the Jardin du Luxembourg, not the Jardin des Plantes, not any of Paris' many tiny neighborhood parks! A French friend commented that it was undoubtedly easier to prohibit dogs than to teach people to pick up after them. I had a wonderful time in Paris with my well-traveled bichon frisé, but I was quite sad that we couldn't spend time together in green spaces.
21
So why is this an article in the New York Times again? I am almost reminded of those kitschy velour paintings of Fido and Friends playing poker. Bow wow!
24
Because a lot f Times readers have dogs and travel to France.
7
C'est ici, because, as you may have noticed from the comments, more readers appreciate it than do not.
6
Why is it here?
Geez, it is interesting and fun for these troubled times.
A lighthearted and optimistic tale.
Loved it.
Note that I did not write "tail" but thought about it.
7