Dogs in Paris
 

My husband and I are taking our mini-daschund with us to Paris in a few weeks. We're getting her micro-chipped and all shots up to date.

Has anyone had an issue with bringing a dog into France?

Also, on a lighter note, is it REALLY that common to see dogs in restaurants? I'd be delighted to be able to take her to dinner one night.

Any tips would be appreciated!

FG

I don't know how common it is, but I have seen dogs in Paris restaurants.
It is a dog friendly place.
Just watch where you walk!!

We were eating in a retaurant when one of the regulars came in. He had a seat on the floor at the end of the bar, woofed to place his order, and received his meal from the head waiter.
He ate quickly, and left.

Yes, you can dogs to many restaurants, if not all. We take our dog with us on all our overnight trips to Paris.
Tip: pick up the Michelin red guide to Paris restaurants and hotels. The guide will let you know which restaurants don't accept dogs (you can usually assume a dog is welcome unless you see the no dog symbol in the restaurant info).

I was surprised by how well-trained the dogs in Paris are. I have seen them frequently in restaurants, but they are so well behaved that you would not know they were there unless you saw them.

In the US, the only dogs I have seen that are that well trained are guide dogs.

Yes, how do they do that? My dog would be begging--even though we don't feed him from the table.
The Tin Shed in Portland Oregon now serves specially cooked doggie meals in their outside eating area.

My dog would only beg to be petted..I think he might be very happy in Paris :)
We have taken him to cafes all over NYC and here in Fl, so he knows to lie down and not bother people while we eat. I wish I could take him with me to Paris...sigh.
Maybe if I ask our "neighbor" - John Travolta, he has a big airplane, we can all fly in the cabin together ((&)) ((X))

You will see dogs in cafes and restaurants but they are very well mannered- no barking or begging. They will curl up under their owner's table and wait for the meal to end. However, in a small neighborhood bistro, we noticed an older couple on a banquette with their Yorkie sitting between them and taking occasional tidbits of the husband's chicken.

I brought my dog from the US to France when I moved here. I followed the instructions of the airlines and got all the paperwork. They checked it all when I checked in. When I got to France, I got my dog and we walked through customs nothing to declare area lol. No one even blinked. No questions asked whatsoever.

Many dogs under the tables and yes, in some restaurants in France as well as Monte Carlo we have seen dogs sitting next to their owners enjoying the meal.

It is an entirely different outlook from the US where animals are generally barred from restaurants for "public health" concerns.

We have found tghat, in general, the Europeans love their animals and don't seem to mind if you pay special attention to them as well.

Where are you travelling from? I take it that you're only going on a trip to Paris and not to live? If so, why are you putting your dog through the ordeal of travelling all that way? Long haul flights are bad enough for adults so hardly fair for a dog unless it's a permanent move...

If I've got the wrong end of the stick then I apologise in advance.

Yes, it's really common to see dogs in restaurants and generally out-and-about.
I live in Provence and have three dogs. They take turns going to dinner with us, to the market to see their "friends", etc.

Dogs used to be allowed in grocery stores, bakeries, butchers, etc., but that's rarely the case now.

I'm sure yours will enjoy her visit to Paris.

PB

I've seen dogs in cafes and restaurants also. When we were at Cafe des Deux Magots a labrador was there too. Very well-behaved!

I know I will be hated for this but can't you leave home without your pets? Hopefully you have your paperwork because I can't imagine you to just bring your pet into the country.

Also what will you do when the dog has to do "his business" on the plane? I wouldn't want to be in the seat next to you nor do i think it should be done in the humans rest room.

Also, I like the American rule-- NO DOGS IN RESTAURANTS. I don't care how behaved they are.

Reminder - Dogs are animals.

I only object when pets are subjected to the baggage area for long flights.
I've smelled smelly people on planes, so pets aren't any worse. I'd rather have a small dog in a carrier next to me than a woman wearing Obsession/Poison/whatever.
Most dogs in French restaurants could go completely unnoticed.

Reminder--people are animals, too.

Personally, I love the idea that dogs are allowed in most restaurants, etc. If they are well behaved, what's the big deal?

What I don't like is subjecting the dogs to long flights in cargo, unless it is for a permanent move. I would welcome any dog in the cabin with me.

Going to Paris a few weeks ago there were little kids in the cabin who smelled worse than doggie poop. The parents didn't bother to even change the diapers until one of the flight attendants asked them to.

Relax, Tallulah. Small pets must remain in their little bags under the seat during the flight. It isn't like one will drool on you or anything.

US Airways doesn't allow them in the cabin on transatlantic flights. Delta doesn't list Europe as a destination under their rules. Continental and United may allow it - their website says to call a 1-800# for information. There is an extra fee to carry them on any airline.

Yes but why can't they just be left at home?! It must be horrible for them on a plane. And as for being shoved in a bag under the seat....?!?! Quite ridiculous!

I agree Tallulah, my dog gets very agitated on a 2 hour car journey, dread to think what she would be like at the end of a transatlantic flight in the hold. Do Vets agree with this?

Alas however, she has never learned obedience so probably wouldn't do well in a Paris restaurant.

Richard,we humans are animals also and I would prefer my dog to many people I have encountered!!

Yes, one will see dogs in cafes and restaurants in Paris and throughout France. But how about this: One night after some rather hefty wine hoisting I stumbled to a restaurant not too far from the Moulin Rouge called “Le Haut Chien.”

Imagine my chagrin when I turned to the waitress to discover that, indeed, she WAS a dog. A dog and a half, nearly! In fact, the whole place was staffed by highly intelligent canines. The chef was a strapping big Mastiff. His wife, a petite Pomeranian (don’t ask!) offered me a simply stunning plate of kibble and biscuits and I washed it all down with a sparkling bottle of Terrier water. At least I think that’s what she said it was.

In addition they specialized in American Deep South cuisine and on subsequent nights we enjoyed hush puppies smothered in gravy train. It was enough to make me howl at the moon. Someone said the police dogs were coming so I decided that it would be wise of me to flea.

Turns out the whole shebang is owned by a consortium of German Shepard's from Berlin. Who knew?

I would much rather have a *gulp* DOG next to me on a plane rather than the couple who shoulda had a room on my last flight back from Paris!

I would LOVE to take my dogs with us to Paris but wouldn't ever put them in cargo and don't think I could pass them off as service dogs. At 50 and 70 pounds, they're a bit large for the cabin.

By the way, I've been to Paris many times and have never encountered dog waste. Must not be that common or I've been incredibly lucky.

Judy

Judy - I have been to Paris 3 times and have seen doggie poop on the streets a total of 2 times.

I think people grossly exaggerate about all the poop left by dogs. Everyone I saw with a dog picked up after it.

I brought my dog AND cat to France, but I was moving there. No problem, although the regulations coming are are stricter than the regulations bring the pets back to the states, if you can believe that. Just bring the vacination certificate and you'll be fine.

Yes, it really is that common to see dogs in restaurants. More common in Paris, in fact, than seeing small children in restaurants.

>>is it REALLY that common to see dogs in restaurants?>>

Yes, it's pretty common to see dogs in restaurants, but they are also very well behaved. They lie quietly under the table, not moving when waiters walk by. Is your dog well behaved? I have to admit, mine aren't that well behaved. They would bark at everyone that walked by. Therefore, we will not be taking our dogs to Paris :-)

Sandy

I saw a woman with a dog on a leash, shopping in a nice department store in Biarritz once...also rode in a taxi in Paris with a dog in the front seat.

I would never want to take my 90 lb lab on an airplane, he hates even being in the car usually, so no way would he care for being subjected to cargo. I love him too much to do that to him. But isn't it difficult to bring a pet into another country? My friend had to have her cat quarrantined for months either coming to the US from Ireland or vice versa. And someone here last year (was it Mimi?) found it very difficult to bring a puppy home from France. So how do you just pop into Paris with your pooch?

Not all of the above posters had to fly overseas, some were/are living in Europe.

My dogs are a part of our family and I would take them anywhere I could if I could get them there safely. My dogs love riding in the car and can last for eight to ten hours without having to urinate or poop. Unfortunately, they are way too big to take in the cabin of a plane and I would NEVER put them in cargo...not even for a short flight.

I once read in a some publication in Paris that only people who can't afford dogs have children. The French do love their dogs and I love them for that!

Dogs are like kids, just because you love them doesn't mean that we should too.

Leave them at home.

I will vouch for the fact that all the dogs in Paris are NOT perfectly well behaved.

I walked into a bakery that was "staffed" by a Yorkshire Terrier. He hurried over to sniff at me in a fairly friendly manner. I slowly extended my fist for a sniff and he nearly bit my arm off! I have a lot of experience with dogs and would never bolt my hand out to pet a strange dog, so his reaction was a bit of a surprise.)

I actually thought it was sort of funny because I used to own a Yorkie - he would have done the same thing (except he wouldn't have acted friendly even for a second...)

ANIMAL!

The wife had a Yorkie that bit everyone he met.
It was never a real problem because the damn fool dog had no teeth.

Leave the kids & the dog at home.

Frenchie-girl: I am taking my chihuahua to Paris in June and I have researched the requirements extensively. You should call the French Consulate in Washington and they can give you the information about which form you need (France has a specific form). This form must be filled out and signed by your vet and then it must be signed a a USDA representative. I live in New York and there is an USDA office/representative at Kennedy Airport who will sign the form for me. Also, this form must be dated no more than 10 days from your date of travel.

Make you plane reservations as soon as possible as only 2 dogs are allowed on each flight (in the cabin). We are flying Air France and the fee is $140.00 each way (if I remember correctly).

One other thing, make sure that the micro-chip can be scanned by the type of scanner they use in France. The French Consulate can give you the information.

Are you going before June 27th? If so, please post a report.

Charlieg

If dogs bother people so much, they shouldn't go to Paris. Maybe Korea or the Phillipines where they eat dogs would better suit.

Oh no, you didn't just go there.

The eat bunnies, Bambi and Daffy in Paris.

Also Seabiscuit.

Cats are also welcomed in some restaurants. Both cats and dogs are sometimes offered special meals and provided with water bowls. It's very civilized.

If you don't like animals in a restaurant with you, France, and Germany are not places you should visit. It's part of the culture.

I would much rather sit next to a dog or cat in a cafe than next to a person who is hygenically challenged.

I will be there with mine in a few years. Can NOT wait to travel France with my chien!

Hi frenchie girl,

You might want to read a book before you leave called "Ella in Europe: an American Dog's International Adventures" by Michael Konik. (Sorry if I didn't get the title and author's name exactly right, I did it off the top of my head.)

It's all about taking Ella around with him for a 6 week European vacation. She was welcome almost everywhere, including Le Grand Vefour in Paris.

On a side note, I am a puppy raiser for a guide dog school. This means that we get puppies that will be future guide dogs, take them into our homes when they are 2 months old, and socialize them by teaching them obedience and taking them with us practically wherever we go for the length of time that we have them, usually around 1 1/2 years. My dogs have been in numerous restaurants. I can't tell you how many times when leaving a restaurant I will hear someone comment that they didn't even know that a dog was there. You can't always say that about children, ha ha! :)

Have a great trip, and don't forget to post a report when you get back.

We bring our dog and have no trouble in France, but here in the United states, it costs more to board her if we travel.