Mix-Up Monday: Dogs Dogs Everywhere!

Her dog back in California

This week’s pub quiz inspired yet another Mix-Up Monday. When I got to the pub, I had to climb over two very cute black noses to get to my seat. These noses belonged to two, rather large, rather hairy ,dogs.

Unlike the United Staes, seeing dogs in stores and restaurants is not uncommon in Germany. Although not all restaurants allow dogs, (for obvious reasons, food!) almost every store, no matter how large or small, allows people to bring their dog in with them. This includes shoe stores, department stores, home and garden stores, and so on. Many people who bring their dogs shopping with them have quite small dogs, but sometimes you go into a store and must compete for space with a great dane or Burmese mountain dog. (We are dog people so this does not bother us in the slightest, unless the dog is not well-behaved or makes a lot of noise.)

The picture on ticket machines
(www3.psychologie.hu-berlin.de)

Even more common than in stores and restaurants, dogs riding public transportation is a daily sight in Germany. In Frankfurt, unlike some other cities, dogs ride for free. Where we used to live, dogs paid the same price as children. The machine actually had a picture of a dog and a kid on it so you knew what button to push :)

In high school she raised guide dogs for the blind and was one of the few Americans who got to take her dog everywhere with her. After that experience, she definitely can agree that it is nice for both owner and dog to be able to shop together.  Now if only we had our own dog to take around town...

Perhaps we should start a rental service. Rent a companion by the hour or day to take shopping :)