A guide to dog-friendly Paris

It strikes you as you pass a Parisienne and her pampered poodle on a residential block in the Marais, or perhaps when you notice the yellow lab snoozing beneath the café table - Parisians love their dogs and treat them as part of the family. This article describes it far better and more completely than I can.

A patient pooch waits his turn outside a café. Photo courtesy of VirtualTourist.com.

But while the dogs we've come across in Paris are incredibly well-behaved, their owners feel no compunction to clean up after them. No one carries plastic baggies at the ready, so it's wise to look down now and again when walking. The city has tried many ways to cope, but as the article points out, mostly washes the poops into the guttter.

Alas, few apartment owners we deal with in either Paris or Barcelona allow pets of any kind ... not that many travelers bring them along. Those that do likely have favorite hotels that pamper both the pet and owner.

Here's an apartment in the 2nd arrondissement where you can easily walk to many key sights, including the Jardin des Tuilleries, where you're likely to get a glimpse of Parisians and their pooches. To see more apartments in Paris and Barcelona, visit www.likelivingthere.com