Barcelona - Ciutat de Gossos
In which we figure out how to be dog owners in Barcelona
We didn't really know what to expect moving to Barcelona with our dog. Finding housing that allowed "mascotas" limited our choices, but there were apartments available. Upon arriving, however, in La Sagrera and Guinardo anyway, dogs are everywhere. For us, this is a mixed blessing because many of the dogs are off-leash and Lusi isn't always friendly.
Castellano: Mi perro no siempre es amigable
Catala': El meu gos no sempre és amable
Dogs here a pretty diverse variety ranging from tiny lapdogs to Greyhounds and the occasional Great Dane. There are also quite a lot of bully breeds, like American Pitbull Terriers, Cane Corsos and the like. Spain has a dangerous dogs law and those breeds must be registered and wear muzzles in public. In truth they wear them infrequently or dangling from their necks. However, particularly dangerous specimens are often muzzled.
We had also worried it might be difficult to find a place to get Lusi's hair cut, but the number of pet shops, vets and dog groomers, peluquerias de perros or perruquerias de gossos, is mind-boggling. In speaking with one groomer, we learned that they were familiar with Portuguese Water Dogs and that there is a Catalan Water Dog as well.
Looks like a close cousin of the muppet.
There is also a Catalan Sheep Dog, which is quite a handsome hound.
One particularly nice aspect of having the dog here is that we can sit outside at bars like Cafe Islandia in the evening and have an Estrella Damm with the dog at our feet. While Lusi isn't always great at making friends with other dogs, she's pretty good at doing so with people.
