Is it just me, or do European dogs seem better behaved than their canine counterparts in America?

In France, dogs get first class treatment – which isn’t to say that we don’t completely indulge our pets in the States. It’s just that here, dogs are seriously treated like people. You see them trotting into bakeries behind their owners to pick up the daily baguette. Dogs patiently lounge tableside, waiting for their owners during indoor meals at brasseries.

They even trot calmly and with a purpose around the Carrefour – the French equivalent of Wal-Mart – as if they’re sure the chewies are just around the corner and they’ll be in and out in a jiffy, merci beaucoup.

I suppose the reason why I notice the dogs here so much is because they remind me of the canine in my life – a lovable if hyper poodle named Wally who lives with my parents in Virginia. Wally definitely could not hang in France.

While the German shepherds and Scotties in the markets in France simply pass each other with nary a second sniff, Wally would go berserk. Just the scents wafting from the market itself would have him humping everything in sight. Wally is simply incapable of walking in a straight line down the street without greeting everyone and everything in sight.

I just can’t figure out how these Europeans have their dogs so well trained. It’s the same in Spain, Germany, Holland and beyond. Dogs are somehow capable, in busy city settings, of following along behind their owners, unleashed, without feeling the need to chase every tail that goes by.

And have you ever heard anyone say that dogs and their owners resemble one another?

It’s true. Just have a look at any city square in Europe, you’ll see. Man and his best friend, side by side at the café. Taking in a little people and pet-watching while sipping a cool drink – then getting up nonchalantly after an hour or two to go do some more shopping.

- by Terry Ward