In line with cat bars, puppy yoga is expanding its territory. Well helped by social networks and the media, the courses offered are seeing their number grow in Paris, but also in the rest of the country. The concept is simple: do yoga surrounded by small dogs (puppies in English) present in the room. What could be more conducive to well-being than a moment of relaxation with little balls of fur?
A tempting cocktail… apparently. Because far from the idyllic publications on social networks, testimonies collected by 20 minutes professors, participants or animal protection professionals warn of the risks this practice has for animals.
Too many sources of anxiety for puppies
To ensure a “cute and cute” moment, the dogs must be small. Very small. According to the manager of a structure contacted by us, they are between eight and twelve weeks old. The most “flexible” structures would last up to five months. This eight-week limit is not chosen at random: it is the age at which a puppy begins to be weaned and can be vaccinated.
“Even vaccinated, eight-week-old puppies remain very vulnerable,” warns Loïc Dombreval, veterinarian and president of the National Animal Protection Council. According to him, nothing in puppy yoga can suit these animals: unfamiliar environments, lights, sounds, body odors. “These are all sources of intense anxiety for puppies who are still babies,” he warns. And I’m not even talking about transportation. » The puppies do not in fact belong to yoga structures and are most often rented for the day to breeders and individuals.
An incompatible rhythm
The structures highlight – on their websites or in their communication – “the well-being” of these animals and their “socialization”. Arguments defeated by the veterinarian. “It’s a hoax. The socialization of a puppy is first done by its mother. However, the half-days spent doing yoga sessions are extremely long separations. »
Worse, these sessions would be dangerous: “Eight-week-old puppies need 16 to 20 hours of sleep per day, like human babies. Because their brain is still growing and that’s when nerve connections are formed. » A rhythm incompatible with the sessions especially since according to the teachers contacted, most of the participants come for the chance to caress and play with the puppies more than for the practice of yoga itself.
Risks of behavioral disorders
These same teachers with whom 20 minutes spoke mention cases of puppies awakened and stimulated to please the participants, who pay several dozen euros to benefit from it. Some structures even avoid feeding and giving water to young animals to prevent them from relieving themselves during sessions.
Which, according to Lorène Jacquet, Campaigns and Advocacy Manager at the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, causes behavioral problems: “We risk seeing puppies develop behavioral problems of anxiety, cleanliness, hyperattachment to humans or even cleanliness. »
The risks of “crush” adoption… which leads to abandonment
And health is not the only thing at stake, according to this animal health specialist. Because for dog “renters”, it is also a fantastic business opportunity. What’s better than a nice yoga session with a little ball of fur to force adoption/purchase? “This allows breeders to create a crush among people who are not in the process of purchasing,” she explains. Before highlighting the main risk that results from this: abandonment. “Once again, the animal is seen as an object. An asset for doing business.”
Loïc Dombreval sees this as more than a simple coincidence with the ban, since January 1, 2024, on the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores: “It was a marketing invention by yoga teachers who are struggling to emerge in their sector. This has become a huge scam for breeders who are trying to “consume cuteness” to sell their animals. » Incidentally, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation warns breeders and reminds them that the legislation requires them to secure the life and path of their puppies.
No control at the moment
Contacted on this subject, the Ministry of Agriculture responded that puppy yoga “is comparable to an activity of presenting puppies to the public which falls within the framework of the rural and maritime fishing code (CRPM)”. This requires structures to comply with health and animal protection rules. For example, at least one person in direct contact with animals must have professional certification recognized by the ministry.
But puppy yoga being a recent activity, no control has yet taken place, specifies the ministry. “The problem is that the regulations cannot anticipate so much absurdity,” fumes Loïc Dombreval. He, like the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, calls on yoga and animal lovers not to mix things: “If you love animals, be aware that even in the best possible conditions, this type of activity cannot be good for them. If you want to see animals, go to a shelter, train as a caregiver. But don’t participate in this circus. »
And what about yoga in all this? Among the teachers who participated in this type of session that 20 minutes contacted, opinions are unanimous: the presence of puppies and the duration of the sessions (on average 20 minutes before focusing on the animals) are incompatible with the practice of yoga, which requires interiorization and concentration. The French Yoga Federation is more laconic: “It’s not yoga. »