I Woof Dogs ❤️

How “Paris Cafe Dogs” All Started

The Parisians are folks that aren’t much into small talk on the street. Except when it comes to their dogs. If you approach a Parisian while out and about in the city and ask them about their pooch, they beam with pride and will enthusiastically open up to you about their little bundle of hairy joy.

I started photography as a hobby when I moved to Paris because I was so enamoured with the beauty and vibrant life of the city I felt driven to capture it in pictures. The photos you see today on Flavors of Paris website and social media channels are all, almost exclusively, taken by me.

The Paris Cafe Dogs series actually started on a whim a few years ago. I am a dog (and cat) lover. The Parisians are too, and take their pups everywhere with them. One of the Parisians’ favourite pastimes is to relax on a sunny cafe terrace while chatting with friends and sipping a glass of wine, and of course the dogs come along for the experience, so they are an integral part of the Parisian cafe culture.

I found the scenes with the owners and dogs in the cafes so charming that I started snapping. When I approach the owners to ask permission to take pictures they are always delighted to show off their fur babies and tell me all about them.

It’s not all that easy to get good shots of dogs. First you have to find them. For me it’s like I am on a canine safari in the Parisian streets. I have to scan at street level, under cafe tables, and peoples’ laps. Sometimes they aren’t at the front of the terrace so I have to look to the back or sometimes even peak in the doors to see if there are some inside.

Once I’ve located a dog, the trick is shooting them. They move fast and they move a lot. I have to get down to their level and have worn holes in the knees of my jeans, and had to clean many nose print smears off the lens of my camera. But, I don’t care. It’s a joy for me to capture these wonderful critters.

I will be adding new characters to the gallery website regularly, and some additional ones you may not see here to the Flavors of Paris Instagram and Facebook accounts with the hashtag #ParisCafeDogs, so be sure to keep an eye on our website and social media accounts.

Sincerely, Lisa