On a comfortable velvet sofa, an elegant Parisian savors every last crumb of a soft biscuit in a trendy café in the French capital, except that this customer has four legs.
Loulou, a Pomeranian with milky fur, lets out an enthusiastic “woof” after devouring the five-euro “Merveilleux”, made with thin layers of banana puree, beef, cream cheese and apple.
This one-year-old dog is a regular at this canine bakery, where treats displayed behind a neat window, like the heart-shaped “Mignon,” made with sweet potato, cream cheese and blueberry, look as appetizing as human pastries.
On the other hand, “no chocolate, avocado, grapes or onion” in these canine desserts, specifies the owner of Casa del Doggo, who consulted a veterinarian to develop her recipes.
The adoption of Hulk, her three-year-old Pomeranian, inspired Clara Zambuto, 26, to open this pastry shop where dogs and their owners can enjoy each other side by side.
“I often went for walks with him (…) doing activities, going to the café like a good Parisian, but he quickly got bored,” she says.
“I said to myself, ‘It’s a shame that there aren’t places like that in Paris where, when we have our little coffee, we can also offer our pet a little treat,’” she says. “Our dog is really like our child, we want to be able to take him everywhere.”
This bakery is one of the many establishments dedicated to dogs that are flourishing in Paris, where some 100,000 canines live.
Creamy dessert in a silver cup
To please, yes but in moderation, warns veterinarian Lolita Summary, for which if it is once a month, it is not very serious.
“If they have been in a small pastry shop, you need to adapt the next meal, reduce the quantities a little or do more activity,” she advises.
In another café, doggies lounge around nibbling sweets in the shape of croissants or baguettes for four euros. Marley, a dwarf Australian shepherd wearing a red beret, laps up a creamy dessert from a silver cup.
For Rebecca Anhalt, the decision to open Bone Appart, a bar “where dogs are kings”, was born from a hefty fine received for letting her greyhound loose in a park.
“I wanted to create a place where people could come without fear of being reprimanded for having a dog,” explains the owner.
If Paris has around fifty caniparks where you can walk your four-legged companion without a leash, the collective of associations Paris Condition Canine considers these spaces “insufficient, unevenly distributed and sometimes poorly suited to real uses”.
Dogs even became a niche subject during the March municipal campaign: the new socialist mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, created an Instagram account (@Hotdogswithemmanuelgregoire) of photos with his canine companions, while his rival, Rachida Dati (Republican right), organized “canine aperitifs” in her town hall in the 7th arrondissement.
For Sarah Elgamal, the owner of Loulou, who describes herself as her “mom”, trips to the bakery represent much more than just a place to eat: it is an opportunity to strengthen the bond with her pet.
“It improves the connection, because we are both in a third place which is neither work nor home,” explains this 32-year-old pharmacist.
And if dogs remain the priority in her café, emphasizes Rebecca Anhalt, many customers also come to meet other dog owners.
“We sometimes introduce certain clients to others, because dogs are real vectors of social connection,” she says.
A regular and his 17-year-old dachshund, recently arrived in Paris, now come every day to “be part of the group and meet people,” adds the hostess. After all, “you can talk about your dog with anyone.”
