Paris has a reputation as a dog-friendly city, and after spending time there with our own dogs in mind, we can confirm: the reputation is earned.
Dogs on the Streets of Paris
As a dog lover, I was curious about what I'd encounter when visiting Paris. I saw fewer dogs than I expected, but the ones I did see were everywhere — promenading with their owners along the city's wonderfully walkable streets, tucked into shoulder bags on the metro, or simply trotting alongside their people through the crowded arrondissements. Every dog was on a leash. The city has rules, and Parisians follow them.
"The city itself is the dog park — dogs move through all of it with their owners, integrated into daily life rather than separated from it."
Dogs on the Metro
The Paris metro is more dog-friendly than most American transit systems. Dogs ride tethered to their owners, and the other passengers seem entirely unbothered by the arrangement. On one coach we shared with a large border collie-lab mix who was completely relaxed, lying on the floor between riders' feet and legs as if he'd been doing it his whole life. Even the street beggars we passed had their dogs bundled in blankets on their laps — a small, human detail that stayed with me.
A Different Kind of Dog Culture
What struck me most about dogs in Paris was the absence of dog parks. In American cities, dog parks are a fixture — a designated space where dogs can run off-leash and owners can socialize. Paris doesn't seem to need them. The city itself is the dog park. The cobbled streets, the café terraces, the wide boulevards — dogs move through all of it with their owners, integrated into daily life rather than separated from it. It's a different relationship between dogs and the city, and it works beautifully.
