If you’re moving to Paris with your pooch, or buying one here, be sure to pick up the free guide provided by the Mairie, Petit Guide du Maître: Bien vivre avec votre chien à Paris (download the PDF here). It’s only in French, so I’ll try to paraphrase some of the important info here.

Where can you take dogs in Paris? Restaurants, usually. Museums, never (not even closed in a doggie carrier). Post offices, bakeries, boutiques….depends on the dogs and the mood of the people working there. I take my dogs into places that supposedly don’t allow them, like the bakery, because I figure if smokers can pretend they’re blind to signs, then so can I (that and I always clean up after my dogs’ “merde” in public).

You can’t take dogs into food stores, but at the supermarket it’s generally okay to tie your dog up near the entrance (in a place out of the way, preferably). I leave mine near the carts when I go into Franprix and haven’t had any problems yet.

Legally, dogs aren’t allowed in the open-air markets either (although they certainly can’t keep the dirty pigeons out, so I don’t see the difference), but I’ve only been chastised once (and it was by the local police who happened to be at the market, not the stall owners).

You can take small dogs in the Métro and Bus only if they’re in a carrying bag (I let mine out while I’m walking around and put them in their bag during the ride, like in the photo). All dogs can ride in the RER if they’re in a bag or on a leash and muzzled. Dogs carried in a sac ride free, dogs on their leash have to have a ticket (child rate).

>more