The French and their dogs

Just as Americans love their cars, the French love their dogs. I read somewhere that France has the highest number of dogs proportional to its population than any other country in the world. Let me tell you...it's easy to spot. It doesn't matter what kind of dog you name, some French person somewhere owns that breed of dog. From great big mountain dogs, to tiny poodles, I've seen it all in France. I almost feel like I'm watching the Eukanuba World Challenge sometimes, as some of these dogs are better dressed and groomed than some people I've seen.

The French are stereotypically notorious for bringing their dogs everywhere. And it's true...to some extent. When walking into a restaurant, it's not terribly uncommon to see a dog sitting next to a table with that "give-me-food-right-now-or-I'll-die" look. More often than not, they'll rest quietly under the table, or even on an empty chair next to their owner. This is usually more common on the terrace of a restaurant, but is evident inside from time to time.

Now, this certainly doesn't imply that the French do not have sanitation standards, because they certainly do. For an American, however, this may seem a little out of the ordinary. After all, you wouldn't be caught dead trying to bring your golden retriever into Applebees in the United States, even if they had outdoor seating. And if someone did try to bring their dog into an Applebees, they would surely get the boot from some manager, not to mention some strange looks from other customers in the restaurant.

The interesting thing between France and the United States is the social acceptance of dogs. In the United States, signs are posted saying "NO PETS ALLOWED." In France, a place that doesn't allow dogs inside (though rare) might have a sign saying "We're very sorry that we cannot allow our friends the dogs in for [insert reason here]."

For now, the French are completely happy with the status of their dogs in society. I can't imagine that the dogs mind so much either.