An elegant, white-haired Parisian savours a biscuity cloud of cream and apple down to the last crumb at one of the French capital's many bakeries – but this client has four legs, not two. Loulou, a fluffy Pomeranian, lets out a satisfied "woof" after polishing off a five-euro ($5.90) "Le Merveilleux" made from banana puree, cream cheese, apple and beef. The one-year-old pup is a regular at this dog bakery, where the treats lined up under a glass counter – like the heart-shaped "Le Mignon" made with sweet potato, cream cheese and blueberry – look almost good enough for humans to eat.
A trained pastry chef prepares the treats at this Paris dog bakery. © Xavier Galiana, AFP
French owner Clara Zambuto said that adopting Hulk, her three-year-old Pomeranian, inspired her to open the canine-friendly patisserie, where dogs and their humans can indulge side-by-side. "I'd often go for walks with him ... pop into a café like a proper Parisian, but he'd soon get bored," said the 26-year-old owner of Casa del Doggo. Watch morePaw patrolling: Sniffing out France's love of dogs "I thought it was a shame there weren't places in Paris where, while you're having a quick coffee, you can also treat your pet," she added. "Nowadays our dog is really like our child ... we want to be able to take him everywhere," she said. The bakery is one of several dog-centric establishments popping up in the French capital – home to an estimated 100,000 canines – where some say pets' needs remain overlooked. 'No chocolate' Zambuto started preparing the treats at home herself, before enlisting the help of a trained pastry chef. "No chocolate, no avocado, no grapes and no onion," she said, as they are toxic to dogs.
