NEWS AND OPINION: This appears to be a story about a technicality which has outlawed puppy yoga in Italy. Although there are voices of concern from animal advocacy charities about the concept of puppy yoga. The problem in Italy is that the health ministry classified puppy yoga as pet therapy last week. This effectively outlawed the popular pastime because under Italian law only grown dogs can be used in pet therapy. Therefore, dog yoga would be allowed in Italy but not puppy yoga. When does a puppy become an adult? Around 18-24 months.
This has greatly upset a lot of people including Francesco Di Turi who launched Puppy Yoga classes in 19 Italian cities after learning about the activity during a visit to Britain. He first began offering classes in Bologna in January.
Puppy yoga involves releasing playful young dogs into a room in which a yoga class is being held. The concept is based upon the calming effect of the presence of the puppies combined with the health benefits of doing yoga. It is claimed that both the puppies and the humans benefit.
However, in the UK, there is growing opposition to the activity. The RSPCA claimed that “there is nothing in the environment which we would considered to be beneficial to the health, welfare or behavioural lifelong development of these animals.”
And in Italy, the National League for the Protection of Dogs chipped in by saying: “At this age, puppies should not have to suffer stress and journeys [to and from yoga studios] but live in a quiet and protected environment under the care of their mothers, which teach them how to socialise and confront the outside world”.
Francesco Di Turi says that no puppies are sent to your classes before they are 60 days old. He added that, “Vets and breeders who supply the puppies have said that yoga actually eases the puppies into separation from their mothers, letting them get to know humans and have less fear of them before they find owners. It is like nursery school for puppies, which is why the breeders we approached like the idea.” Comment: effectively what the breeders are saying is that puppy yoga adds to the socialisation of the young dogs. It is part of the socialisation process which is vital to a dog and cat’s integration into human life.
He added that in any one yoga class only puppies from the same litter are used.
There have been criticisms that puppies are not allowed to drink water before lessons but Di Turi denies this and said that, “We put down covers on the floors and give them water during lessons”.
He has also set up puppy yoga lessons for people suffering from anorexia, blind people and autistic children.
A woman who runs a yoga group for autistic children in Naples, Michela Monti said that the reaction to puppy yoga by the autistic children was “beautiful”. She added that, “One boy who hurts himself when frustrated was slapping himself in the face until two Bulldog puppies started licking him. He calmed down in two minutes, whereas it usually takes us 15 minutes to calm him down.” She claims that using puppy yoga to help people with disabilities was more effective than having them work with grown dogs in pet therapy.
My thanks to The Times for this story (hardcopy).
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