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Puppy yoga, or doga, is a fairly new wellness trend that has been on the rise after well-meaning celebrities began posting about their own experiences.

Litters of puppies are drafted in to join classes, roaming freely as attendees move through poses. The classes claim to provide dual benefits – stress relief for the humans in attendance and socialisation for the dogs.

The reality may be quite different. Some of the puppies are only six weeks old and should be with their mothers for at least the first eight weeks of their lives. Instead, according to an ITV investigation, they are being put to work for hours each day in some places, allegedly deprived of water (to prevent urination), woken from sleep (critically important for puppies) and being passed around the people in attendance. The rooms are often overly warm to suit the needs of humans, which is a health risk to puppies.

For these reasons, Italy’s Ministry of Health has now banned puppy yoga classes, saying only adult dogs should take part in order to protect the health of animals as well as the safety of attendees.

Puppy yoga typically involves puppies roaming freely around a yoga class and sometimes being incorporated into yoga poses or a yoga class followed by playtime with the puppies.

 

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The ministry asked regional authorities to carry out checks to ensure puppy yoga classes do not take place. In a statement, Italy’s National Board for Animal Protection welcomed the decision.

It quoted dog expert Giusy D’Angelo as saying that puppy yoga was a “physically and mentally stressful experience” for the animals.

She also said that attendees risked getting carried away and adopting the animals.

“People are overtaken by a wave of emotion after experiencing sensations of well-being from the close proximity to the puppies,” Ms D’Angelo said. “This can lead them to make a decision without really thinking through the implications and the consequences.”

“This type of activity is detrimental to the dogs’ wellbeing and only brings financial advantages to those who run the classes.”

While organisers claim the puppies enjoy the socialising involved in the ancient Indian art, “there is nothing in the environment which we would consider to be beneficial to… these animals.”

Puppy yoga classes are popular across Europe and the US. Other variations include kitten yoga, rabbit yoga, and even goat yoga.

As Esme Wheeler, a dog welfare specialist at the RSPCA notes: “Animals are often some of our best friends, and it’s time we ask what kind of friendship we offer in return.”

[source:guardian&bbc]