Old dog. New trick.

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. In this case, the dog are the French and the trick is cleaning up after your dog.

Everyone laughed at the campaign a few years back threatening fines for those who let their dogs do their business wherever they wanted. I remember an older couple standing under a "curb your dog" sign in Paris snickering as their dog did its thing.

But something's in the air and it's not just the smell of dog poo.

A couple months ago, I actually saw 2 people in the same week cleaning up after their dogs. Then a few weeks ago, I noticed free doody bag distributers around the city available to any dog-owning, sidewalk respecting person. Then just yesterday, as I was riding my bike to work, I saw one of my neighbors yelling at a dog owner as his dog squatted in front of his house. "And do you have something to clean that up with," he was shouting.

So folks, there is hope that one day we will be able to walk through a French city and be able to look up at the sights instead of down at the sidewalk.