I adore dogs, which means I’m a keen observer of them when out and about either at home or when travelling. Over the years and across destinations, I’ve noticed differences in dog and owner behaviour and often wondered about it. I chalked it up to differences in cultures. After a bit of online research, it seems my hypothesis about how dogs differ around the world has some merit.
European dogs are more laid back
Twelve years ago, Steve and I rented an apartment in Paris for a month-long stay. Before that, we had not spent much time in Europe. It didn’t take us long to notice how dog behaviour was different in the City of Light than our North American prairie city Winnipeg.
Dogs were less barky and less aggressive in Paris. As runners, we’ve had countless encounters with dogs at home when their humans let them off-leash on trails and in parks. Invariably, they chase us; a few times, dogs have jumped up and nipped at our legs. As the dogs bound toward us, their owners will yell out, “Not to worry, he’s harmless.” (which is what the owners of the dogs that nipped at us said). It’s annoying, and we usually point out that the dog, by law, should be on a leash.
In Paris, it was completely different. We encountered many dogs off-leash when we were walking or running in parks and on the streets. The dogs were indifferent. It seemed remarkable to us. Did those Parisian pups just think it was beneath them to chase after North Americans?
We decided the difference had to do with density. In a high population city, you’d have to train your dog to behave better if you were going to be out in public. You can easily walk a block or two in Winnipeg without encountering another person (let alone a dog). We theorized that there is no imperative to train a dog to behave around a lot of people in our home town because there just aren’t that many of us about.
Turns out, the reason for the difference doesn’t have to do with training exactly, but rather socialization. Dog trainer Kama Brown examined the topic, comparing dogs in the U.S. with those in the UK and France. Part of the difference in behaviour has to do with the fact that dogs are less restricted regarding where they can go in Europe. You see them in restaurants, bakeries, department stores, and just about everywhere. Dogs are also not required to be on-leash as much in Europe as in they are in the US. As a result, they become habituated to different environments and around various people.
Brown also posits that culturally, Europeans treat their dogs more the way we in North America treat service dogs. People generally ignore dogs on the street. Children are discouraged from distracting them, and there is less interaction between humans and dogs generally. The atmosphere is more emotionally neutral for the animal resulting in better behaviour.
Some cultures LOVE dogs, and in others, it’s more complicated
I have never visited a city with more dogs on the streets than in Mexico City. Indeed, 70% of Mexican households have at least one pet (second only to Argentina). Water dishes outside shops and grocery stores are the standard. I’ve certainly never seen kibble and dog treat dispensers (like a bubble gum machine) in convenience stores before visiting Mexico City. They love their dogs a lot. Similar to European dogs, Mexican dogs are socialized to be more indifferent to people. I also noticed that dogs in Mexico were mostly unadorned. I saw very few wearing jackets or kerchiefs. Maybe it’s just too warm for that.
On the other end of the spectrum is Bulgaria. For a few years in the mid-2000s, Steve commuted to that country’s capital, Sofia, a few times a year for work. One thing he had to navigate when running outdoors was the stray dog population. The dogs were often aggressive, and his local colleagues would tell him to carry rocks with him to throw as a deterrent to attack (which happened routinely). Just miming the act of throwing a rock resulted in a conditioned response from the dogs — they knew to back off. The stray dog problem apparently coincided with its dire economic times following its regime change in the late 1980s. Under communist rule, stray dogs were kept under control by killing them.
Happily, by the time I tagged along with Steve to Sofia in 2016, the stray dog situation had radically changed. In 2008, following a few horrific high-profile maulings, the city enacted a stray dog policy that included a spay and neuter program. The stray population has declined significantly. I spotted only one dog during my stay, and he was docile.
Other ways dogs differ around the world
Whenever we visit New York City, we’re always amazed to see many large dogs. NYC is notorious for its super tiny living spaces. How are New Yorkers sharing their apartments with these big pooches? It’s not just perception; among the top breeds in NYC are Labs, German Shepards and Rottweilers.
In Venice, unlike Mexico City, almost every dog we met on the street was decked out in nicer clothing than us. Like, complete outfits with accessories.
In Sevilla, Spain, on the other hand, we observed an odd trend of small dog owners pushing their puppers around in specially designed strollers. It was most bizarre.
Have you noticed differences in the way dogs (or pets in general) are treated in other countries?
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to Tag Along Travel? Twice a month, you’ll receive an email with links to recent posts.
PIN IT
