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The Italian Ministry of Health has issued a ban on puppy yoga. In a short time, the new form of yoga became very popular, but according to Italian authorities, the participation of puppies is not conducive to the well-being of the young dogs.
For the less fanatical yogis, first this: puppy yoga is not very different from other forms of yoga. Only – not surprisingly – there are puppies walking around the room during class. Sometimes the young dogs are also actively involved in an exercise or there is time for a cuddle moment after class. Its popularity is fueled by cute images on social media.
The reasoning behind it sounds good: a healthy activity, yoga, becomes even more relaxing, because the presence of puppies is said to generate positive feelings and reduce your stress levels. In addition, the providers of puppy yoga argue, puppies learn from an early age to socialize with people.
So a win-win? Not according to animal rights organizations and the Italian Ministry of Health. To protect the health of the animals and the safety of the participating yogi, only adult dogs are allowed to participate in a yoga class in Italy. Italy considers puppy yoga an “animal-assisted therapy,” which by law can only be performed by adult animals.
Not enough sleep
ENPA, the Italian animal welfare organization, is satisfied with the decision. According to dog expert Giusy D’Angelo, puppy yoga is a “physically and mentally stressful experience” for the dogs. Moreover, she points out that participants sometimes get carried away and impulsively decide to adopt a puppy. “People are overcome with a wave of emotion from being close to the puppies,” D’Angelo said. “As a result, they make decisions without really thinking about the consequences.”
According to ENPA, puppies are often not transported from the breeder to the yoga class in a safe manner. “These types of activities are detrimental to the well-being of the dogs and only provide financial benefits to the organizers,” D’Angelo concludes.
In our northern neighbours, the consumer program Radar made a report with hidden cameras about puppy yoga. This showed, among other things, that – at least in the yoga class we visited in Amsterdam – puppies often remain in the yoga room for hours and that sleeping dogs are sometimes awakened, although such young dogs need up to 20 hours of sleep per day. By systematically keeping young dogs awake for too long, they become unsocialized.
If you still want to try puppy yoga, it is also possible in our country, more specifically in Brussels.