How to quickly integrate into the local life in France?

The answer is simple, you just need a dog!

In the eyes of the French, “dogs” are not only important members of the family, but also legal citizens with “identity cards” (LOF).

So, what dog do French people like best? Which breed of dog should I raise?

Recently, the French Central Canine Society (SCC) announced the ranking of the "most popular" dog breeds in France in 2023. This ranking result is mainly based on the number of registrations in the "French Book of Origin". It should be noted that the handbook only registers purebred dogs, so dogs adopted in France are not included.

Next, let us reveal the list!

This is the "most popular dog among French people" in 2023!

The Australian Shepherd remains the most registered dog breed in the "Letter of Origin of France" (LOF), the studbook established by the Société Cenique Centrale de France (SCC).

"Since the Australian Shepherd's 'arrival' in France, its popularity in France has continued to grow: in 1997, the number of Australian Shepherds registered with the French LOF was less than 130, and today the breed's The number of registered dogs has exceeded 150,000,” the French Central Canine Association emphasized in a press release. In 2023, there were 17,609 Australian Shepherd puppies registered with LOF in France, making it the most popular dog breed in France.

"The Australian Shepherd is a highly coveted breed because of its build, unusual eyes, and coat of varying colors, as distinctive as its blue merle color."

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Mathilde Beyer, department manager of LOF, told the media.

In France, the price of a purebred Australian Shepherd is: 900 to 1,500 euros. Obviously, the high price has not deterred French buyers.

“More and more young buyers (between 20 and 30 years old) are attracted by its beauty. This is a very cute dog, perfect for Instagram!”

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In addition, the Golden Retriever (15,276 registrations) and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (10,743 registrations) ranked second and third respectively.

Next are: Belgian Shepherd, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Some dog breeds also made significant gains, such as the Miniature American Shepherd, which rose from 14th to 9th place, and the Dachshund, which moved from 17th to 11th place.

According to the Central Canine Association, this ranking confirms a trend observed in recent years in French dog-owning: “They like shepherds, but also retrievers and, more recently, primitive dogs. ."

At the same time, the French tend to favor "small or medium-sized dogs" when raising dogs.

In addition, there are many dog ​​names starting with "U" in 2023. The Central Canine Society explained in its press release that "the most popular names given to female dogs in France last year were 'Una' and 'Ulysses' for male dogs."

< p>Standard configuration for the middle class? There is also a contempt chain for raising dogs in France!

“From the end of the Middle Ages to the present day, dogs as domestic animals have actually been the ‘standard accessory’ of the aristocratic class.”

Historian Eric Baratay noted that this pattern subsequently spread to other social classes.

“However, as the social environment changes, our expectations of dogs are also different. For example, for a long time, the relationship between the working class and dogs has been relatively cold.”

< p>Nowadays, with the continuous development of society, almost every French family will choose to raise a dog. Especially with the expansion of cities, suburban residences have gradually become "urbanized", which means that even among the peasant class, the phenomenon of "raising dogs for fun" has emerged.

Sociologist Christophe Blanchard believes that because owning a dog also means walking it, it is "a way of investing in public space".

"Pet dogs embody us The social class it belongs to is a symbolic message related to stereotyped class relations. For example, the Italian greyhound of Parisians and the mastiff of suburban people are a very typical contrast."

In addition, The dog breeds chosen by different people also reflect their individual aspects.

“If we want to demonstrate our control over the wild nature of animals, we will prefer the Malinois to the Chihuahua. Dogs are people’s fantasy of inner qualities, which we possess through some kind of transmutation . This is what is mentioned in anthropology: we imagine that this object is ourselves."

The Barking Team makes great contributions! 500 animals participate in the Olympic Games

As the Paris Olympics approaches, in addition to the intensive preparations by the staff, there is also a "huge" group of paw teams ready to go!

King, Elite, Shivana, these are the names of the sheepdogs who will be in charge of security at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Since June last year, the Paw Patrol team has been training to find explosives at a school in Cannes-Ecruise (Seine and Marne). After half a year of repeated practice, these members are about to be sent to the Olympic Games.

"We will also hold a series of activities such as accommodation, catering and public activities, so these police dogs will definitely pass through such a living area." The training instructor pointed to a training room and said, "This is just like a hotel room. , which is also where Elite participated. But during this training, it made a mistake, hit a place where explosives were hidden, and charged into battle at the risk of injury."

It is reported that there will be 500 in this year's Olympics. A dog is responsible for site security. They begin to retire at the age of eight. In the meantime, the coaches are looking for a foster home. (PS: These are national hero dogs with their own "medals". Friends who have settled in France and love dogs should not miss this opportunity!)

Although Paris has been criticized for being "full of shit", For the French people who love pets, they are still indispensable members of society.

In the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, French girls are also looking forward to seeing these cuties!