Expert warns puppy yoga may stress and harm young dogs
Experts say puppy yoga can leave squirming pups dropped awkwardly, overhandled and stressed. A UK ban petition had already drawn more than 1,400 signatures.
Puppy yoga looks harmless from the mat, but animal welfare researchers say the cute setup can hide a rougher reality for young dogs. The biggest red flags are the ones you can spot in the room: no guidance on safe handling, too much grabbing and a space that seems built for selfies rather than rest.
That concern starts with what puppies actually need. Early socialisation matters for long-term confidence, but bad experiences during that stage can feed anxiety or fear later in life. The RSPCA says puppies should be introduced to new situations and people in calm, appropriate ways, with space to play and age-appropriate care, not pushed through a public handling session that leaves them overstimulated.
Esme Wheeler, the RSPCA’s science and policy officer for dog welfare and behaviour, said the environment of a puppy yoga class would be "incredibly distressing" for dogs. Animal welfare research has also shown how some classes leave attendees with no guidance on safe handling, while video footage has captured squirming young puppies being dropped awkwardly to the ground. That is not socialisation. It is a handling problem.
The debate moved further into the open in 2026, when a UK parliamentary petition called for a ban on puppy yoga, puppy Pilates and other "puppy cuddle therapy." The petition was created by dog trainer Nicky Brunt and was scheduled to close on 10 September 2026. Coverage said it had gathered more than 1,400 signatures and that Dogs Trust and the RSPCA backed the ban campaign, while organisers argued their classes were welfare-compliant and beneficial.
The commercial pitch remains strong. Puppy Yoga London says it aims to blend a typical yoga class with a "serotonin boost" from puppy interaction, and says the pups are prepared for new homes. One London business also claims it introduced puppy yoga to London and the UK in 2018. Even so, listings were still appearing in London, Leeds, Birmingham and St Andrews, and some reporting said the format had already been banned in Italy and was expected to be outlawed in the Netherlands.
For anyone walking into a puppy yoga class, the real test is simple: do the puppies get calm handling, proper rest and enough space, or are they being used as moving props for a feel-good photo op?
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