I’ve lived in London long enough that most of the archetypal US/UK differences no longer catch my eye; I look to the right when crossing the street, and it now seems more natural to say “flat” than “apartment.” But there’s one thing that still strikes me several times a week: the English walk their dogs differently than we do.
In the US, you generally keep your dog on a lead–er, I mean, a “leash.” And if you let your dog run free, you generally let him run in front of you so you can keep an eye on him.
Here, though, leashes are the exception, rather than the rule. And the proper way of walking your dog seems to be to stroll forward while he gambols behind you–sometimes as much as a quarter of a mile behind you. The result is that one frequently sees dogs trotting through the street, seemingly unattached to any human being, but there’s no way of telling if they’re lost or just a block or two behind their human.
Are English dog owners too careless, or American ones over-protective? I have no idea.
I noticed a difference between English and US dogs too: English dogs seem to be better trained. This was true in Paris also so maybe that’s how it in all well-off European countries. Americans often take no responsibility for their dogs’ behavior and let them lunge at passersby, either with friendly or ill intent. Naturally in the US, there’s usually laws saying dogs must be kept on leads, and even if not, that’s the only practical thing to do. And when these dogs do bother the passerby, the owner will often coo something indulgent – he’s harmless, he thinks everyone is his friend. They assume you must be charmed by their great dog – what else? Same with their kids – they’ll talk your ear off about them. But the British are much less likely to talk your ear off about their kids because they assume you don’t care. I imagine they also assume you don’t care to interact with their dog.
Interesting. That would certainly explain why the Brits don’t use leashes on them (the dogs, not the kids. Although, come to think of it, I’ve seen far fewer of those kiddie leashes here, too…)