This place is for the dogs

Literally. You can't go anywhere without seeing them. And I mean anywhere.

Stores, the U/S-Bahn (Berlin's upper and underground subway), most hotels, and even restaurants allow dogs. I'm not talking about just small dogs either. Not to discriminate, these establishments would even allow my big 65 pound girl if we chose to do so. Josie went with us to Hamburg three weeks ago and we stayed in a very nice hotel that offered dog meals on the room service menu. Last week, we were in restaurant and a woman brought in her Rodesian Ridgeback which was easily 75 pounds and no one batted an eye.

I would love to take my dog more places with us but she, how can I say this delicately?, doesn't play well with others.

Ok, Mom, before you email me about criticizing "Your Josie," let me be clear. My dog is the sweetest, most passive dog there is around humans. She is a great cuddler, a wonderful (and now very experienced traveler), a happy companion to our cat, and a quietly exurberant dog. She charms everyone she meets because she wants nothing more than to sleep (see exhibit A above), eat, and be loved by all man-kind but she draws the line at man. Not to be outshown, she prefers the two legged creature to her four-legged counterparts, notwithstanding fellow greyhounds.

I've always reasoned that she developed this fondnest on the race track where, for the four years of her life, her interaction was soley limited to humans and greyhounds. She will occasionally play with other dogs at a dog park but definitely prefers the company of humans to other dogs. The problem for her here is although there is a leash law, very few people keep their dogs on leash, (or pick up after there dogs, but that's for another post) and she can't stand dogs off leash. She starts rearing like a rodeo bronco and barking whenever an off-leash dog comes within 50 yards for her.

To be honest, I can't blame her. Seeing another dog off leash gives the leashed dog the disadvantage if provoked. It's just rude and my dog does not tolerate rudeness, thank. you. very. much. She's just sending the dog a warning not to mess with her and I appreciate that she barks rather than lunges. But to see the looks on the faces of some of these dog owners you would think we were raising Kudjo.

The first week we were here we were walking out with her and a neighbor walked in carrying her small black dog as we were walking out with Jos. "Der Schwartze Hund," (a black dog) she shuttered. "Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah." (something in German meaning I am afraid to death of your killer dog. Take her outside before she tries to eat my poor little Mimsy.) I tried to explain in my broken German that she was harmless but the woman wouldn't hear of it. Now everytime she sees us, she walks on the other side of the street, nervously glancing over her shoulder to make she we're not charging.

I wanted to say, "Get over yourself, lady. If your damn dog was on a leash, you'd save us both alot of heartache. Besides, my dog is smarter and prettier than you and your mangy mut put together. So there."