I will come right out and say the obvious: I am a crazy dog lady. Nothing is better than being greeted with a great big stretch, slobbery kiss, and laps around the living room. Justin, my Yorkshire terrier, is NOT a “pet” in my eyes; he is family.

I have only been in Toulouse for about three weeks, and I can say that Justin is very much missed. It doesn’t help that the French share my love for these four-legged furbabies, though I think it is safe to say that Americans love their dogs just as much as the French do. However, these two countries do have some “doggy differences”:

  1. SCOOP YOUR POOP

This is the Golden Rule for American dog owners. After all, nobody wants to step in that, and it’s just common courtesy to clean up after your dog. In France, it is somewhat the opposite. I’m sure that nobody wants to step in that here, but at the same time, it’s not frowned upon if you don’t clean up after your dog. The city does provide free bags in parks to encourage dog moms and dads to pick up their puppy’s poop, but that doesn’t mean that people will do it.

  1. EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN AMERICA

Don’t get me wrong, I have seen my fair share of larger dogs in France. However, I have also noticed that the majority of dog parents tend to have smaller dogs. I think this might be because French homes are typically smaller.

  1. DOGS ARE FAMILY…

…and you do not leave family locked in a crate when you have to run errands. I have seen dogs on the bus, in shops and restaurants, and even met the sweetest Yorkie on the metro! This would not go well in the States. I remember when my sisters and I took Justin to the mall in a tote bag. It was not a brilliant idea. You are not allowed to bring your dogs to those types of places in France, either, but nobody enforces that rule. I personally have no problem seeing a wagging tail in stores, but people who have allergies would probably disagree with me.

  1. WILD AND FREE

I have seen so many dogs running alongside their parents on busy streets; there was no leash in sight. On one hand, it is cool that the dogs were trained that way. On the other hand, I could never personally do it. It would make me nervous; I don’t want anything to happen to Justin! There are definitely some well-trained dogs here, to say the least.

I hope you enjoyed reading about “dog culture” in France. It definitely catches my attention!

-Caitlin DeFazio