Dog 'Spoiled' by Local Shop Staff Makes US Woman Appreciate New Life Abroad

An American woman living in Europe has shared on social media how an unusual element of her new life has brought her joy: the way people treat her dog.

Miles the dog has become a four-legged celebrity in a local shop near the pair's new home in Italy, according to a video posted by Instagram user and dog owner @sufferprincess.

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A Maltipoo, Miles loves to visit the local store where all of the staff frequently fawns over him, giving his owner a smile every time.

"Come with me to the corner store in Italy where my dog is extremely popular," the woman said in the viral clip, which has gained millions of views.

The footage posted by @sufferprincess shows the store employees warmly greeting Miles with affectionate exclamations of "Amore!" as he waits eagerly, furiously wagging his tail and anticipating meaty treats and plenty of pets from the friendly staff.

"Everywhere we go in the neighborhood, Miles is received with such warmth and affection and a lot of treats," the owner said. "The way Italians love dogs is quickly becoming my favorite attribute of theirs. It never ceases to surprise me how spoiled he is."

"He gets really sad and mopey whenever we have to leave," she added.

Italy has long been celebrated as one of the most dog-friendly countries in the world. As of 2020, almost half of all Italian households, 47 percent, owned a dog, with an estimated 7 million dogs across the nation, according to the National Library of Medicine. Dogs are welcomed in most places in the country, including tourist attractions, cafés and stores.

Miles' visit to the store delighted viewers, who shared their reactions in the comments.

"Oh to be a little dog in an Italian supermarket being fed meats and cheeses by the Italian women there," said Dreampopprincess.

Other commenters agreed that Italians are particularly affectionate with dogs. Viewer Doodlepassport said: "100 percent true! The Italian love of dogs is next level like nowhere else. Walking into a cafe or store with your dog is like being a celebrity for a day."

Guendouglas agreed and wrote: "So flipping cute. Miles is adorable! North America could learn a lot from how Europe embraces dogs in everyday life. I have a sausage dog and live in Germany where I can bring him nearly everywhere and where people even have snacks for him. Even one of the local post offices keeps snacks."

Viewer _meerkate_ wrote: "Italians and their love for dogs is unmatched (except maybe by Brits)—anytime we'd go out for dinner my pup was adored by staff and diners alike."

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