Not all dogs can ride the subway “like everyone else.”

Inside Montreal, journalist Louis-Philippe Messier travels mainly on the run, his office in his backpack, looking for fascinating subjects and people. He talks to everyone and is interested in all walks of life in this urban chronicle.

As of Saturday, dogs can travel on the metro in Montreal for a nine-month “pilot program”… Is the trial over?

• Read more: On the metro with Pitou

• Read more: From October 15, dogs can travel on the metro

Many dog ​​lovers and experts believe that if all goes well, this permission to travel with pets on public transport will become permanent from October 15.

However, one cannot ignore the fact that an unfortunate incident can tarnish the experience and encourage the authorities to ban Bitus again.

“The metro, with its noise and crowds, is not for all dogs, and many owners will find that it takes a lot of work to educate their companion,” Roxanne Nandais, a dog behavior consultant, told me. .

I heard about M.^me Nantes, because among the regulars of a large dog park in the Villere district, his name is spread as an expert capable of “working miracles” with fearful or aggressive dogs.

Not a game

According to M^me Nantes, if there are unfortunate events, when the masters, excited by this new freedom, want to travel on the metro with Fido, they are likely to happen from the first days or weeks of the permit.

“If it’s a disaster, the dog shakes, cries or screams, owners can learn and not start again anytime soon. Soon it will calm down.”

STM mandates a leash (obviously) but muzzles and restricts dogs outside of peak hours, which doesn’t suffocate mastiffs in promiscuous “sardine class.”

If users are allergic to dog saliva, it’s easier to avoid them when traffic is low.

Do not use escalators with a dog: an animal may panic there.

Bittu must place his wealth on the floor to sit: benches and seats are strictly reserved for human use.

Recommendations

“If you’re not already used to your dog and you plan on taking the metro with him sometimes, you should take the time to get your dog used to it, because wearing it just before entering would be a very bad idea.” , warns M.^me Nantes.

“I recommend people visit the metro with their dog to familiarize themselves with the atmosphere, the strange sounds, before attempting the first ride.”

M^me Nantes is pleased with STM’s pilot project.

“It’s no exception, the metro accepts dogs, it’s the same in Paris, where it’s not a problem.”

“By accepting dogs in stores, it’s in communities that integrate dogs into everyday life, where they are better behaved, more peaceful.”

She believes the nine-month experience will be reassuring:

“The tunnel isn’t going to suddenly become one big kennel! This will allow dog owners to get around rather than in a car…which is the purpose of public transport.