I wonder how many Jack Russell terriers there are in Paris?
They seem to be overtaking the Yorkie in popularity.
Is it because they are so darn photogenic, like this little guy?
Did you read about the terrier 'rat hunts' they now have in Manhattan? I wonder if this guy is happier guarding his Paris atelier-coiffure or if he would rather be out searching for vermin? Just having an "I wonder" kind of day.....
My dog needs a job. As you can tell from the photo, she doesn't do much.
Sure, she'll chase the occasional stick, but she won't even reliably retrieve it.
I like the Paris shop dogs that are always on-duty, alert and oh-so-stylish.
They manage to catch a little down time to conserve their energy.
So I'm sending Olivia out on job interviews. Anyone know who's hiring?
Today's word is enlevé, meaning kidnapped!
photo by Janelle, reprinted with permission.
Orson is so famous, he's even been on CBS TV. Check out this video piece about him:
Return Orson!!!!!
A reader has alerted me to a dreadful occurence. Orson, the Ruler of rue Buci, has been stolen!
Orson is famous and loved by visitors from all around the world.
Excuse the blurry photo, but it shows how people are drawn to this sweet dog. Reader Janelle made a pilgrimage to visit him this January and instead found a sign saying he's been stolen.
Voleur, please return Orson to his rightful kingdom on rue Buci!
I've been worrying about my dog, Livvie, who had a big surgery today.
This reminded me that I've been worried about Orson, too. Most Paris regulars know Orson, the ruler of rue Buci, who lives at Café Le Conti and usually patrols the street. He seemed down and depressed. I didn't have time to stop and chat with him or his owner this trip. I wonder if Carol, another one of his fans over on Paris Breakfasts, might know if he's okay?
And I was really worried about this guy:
I guess it's true what they say about Parisians getting fat.
I saw this piece of stencil street art and it made me think. I know panhandlers often use animals because people are sometimes more likely to be sympathetic to a poor pet than a poor person. Yet homeless people need companionship and protection, too, and the animals are not always part of a scam.
When I first saw this dog with a panhandler near le Bon Marché, I admit I wondered if it was stolen. Notice the fine quality of his halter. The owner wore threadbare and dirty clothes with his belongings in a shopping cart.
Then I felt guilty; maybe he spends any money he has on the dog. And Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, has written about how the homeless often take better care of their dogs than other people do. They don't overfeed them, they walk long distances with their dogs (thus giving them the adequate exercise so many of us don't provide our pets) and the dogs are very well-behaved, like the noble guy above.
What is your opinion about panhandling with pets? Esclave? Compagnon? Garde?
This doggie got off the metro at the same stop as I did and I followed him onto the escalator (NO, I was not stalking him). He was definitely Monsieur Cool, no leash, no need to tell him where and when to go.
And when the people on the left above him cleared out of the way, he trotted up the left side like the busy commuters do when they need to quickly pass by those standing still on the right. He waited at the top of the escalator for his slower owner to catch up with him. He then moved through the network of connecting metro tunnels like a rat who knew his way through the maze to the cheese.
My rescue dog, Olivia, is scared of her kennel, scared of her new water bowl and scared of her own shadow while on a walk. No way she would ever make it as a big city dog.
Did you notice that smart doggie above needs to be neutered?
I went to the Marché aux Puces (the flea market) today to chiner a bit (go antiqueing).
Lots of eye candy.
and people-watching opportunities (like these two merchants playing chess between customers)
But I was more tempted by this guy on the couch
and these two shameless beggars at a bistro table....
I went to the Marché aux Puces (the flea market) today to chiner a bit (go antiqueing).
Lots of eye candy.
and people-watching opportunities (like these two merchants playing chess between customers)
But I was more tempted by this guy on the couch
and these two shameless beggars at a bistro table....
Today's dog is not in Paris, but in Petaluma. This is Livvie, the rescue dog we adopted after our beloved Rita died last year. About this time when I'm away I start stalking stranger's dogs. Luckily for the dogs of Paris, our friend Jim took this photo of Livvie to keep me company. She has dirt on her nose, so she was undoubtably digging in something she shouldn't.
She's a good Skyper, too, and licks the phone when she hears me. I'll return, Livvie.
