Puppy yoga - unethical

[mymycherrypie]

I understand that with rescue dogs this could be a legitimate thing, the dogs get some human contact and benefit where by they wouldn’t normally in kennels.

But people I know have bred dogs which suffer from breathing issues but are currently in fashion, and as a result of not being able to sell them on (priced them too high and the dogs got old) has gone down this route instead. She is not a yoga teacher or has any interest in yoga.

AIBU to think that this is a bit of an unregulated area really in general. She keeps her dogs well and spoils them but the idea of them being bred for money - not to go to a family but to perform for and get touched up by strangers at classes - makes me uneasy. After we leave these puppies after a class, how do we know what happens to them. Having masses of puppies for this seems unnecessary when rescue dogs could benefit so much.

Do you think it’s unethical?

“After we leave these puppies after a class, how do we know what happens to them”

We?
So are you going to these “classes”?

No I haven’t gone but a lot of my friends are supporting the class/business. I mean as in people this kind of thing is aimed at. It was also £30 a class! The person I know does look after the dogs very well even though they are primarily a money making scheme. I’ve just checked some hashtags and you can have puppy yoga with a few breeds of your choice. It feels so icky.

“The person I know does look after the dogs very well even though they are primarily a money making scheme”

Well unless sh

Well unless she’s breeding the mother again with a plan to put her existing “workforce” into a bag with some bricks once the new litter is old enough and out-cuting their siblings, what’s the problem?

Humans are shit. Always have been. Always happy will be.

Nothing to do about it, so just shrug and move on.

What the fuck is puppy yoga?

The disposable nature of animals for the pleasure of humans?
The monetising of creatures who are currently deemed fashionable?
Making £30 per person for a class with an animal bred specifically for money when £30 with a charity rescue who could have gained some mutual pleasure from it when they otherwise wouldn’t have done?

regardless of this woman’s actions, the whole concept seems really unethical.

So what’s you AIBU then? 🤷🏻‍♀️

“The disposable nature of animals for the pleasure of humans?
The monetising of creatures who are currently deemed fashionable?”

Do you object to dog ownership per se?
What about horse riding?

If these dogs are well cared for and happy with the interactions, is that a problem?

A few years ago I went to a chihuahua café in Edinburgh. They explained that you couldn’t call the dogs over or pick them up - they had to come to you. They also waited until everyone was seated for the session, then opened a gate - and the dogs were completely at will to come and investigate or not. No feeding of them allowed, so that they were coming out for curiosity for not food.

Yay or nay to that?

Well, it’s not yoga whatever it is.

The first of the 8 limbs of yoga is the Yamas (abstinences) - the first of these is ahimsa - non harming of living beings.

A dog in a home with a loving family - mutual benefit, bonding
Horse riding - mutual benefit
dog and cat cafes - what’s the benefit to the animal, it’s more like a circus or zoo that serves food.

Of course it’s unethical. From
uour post you know some one who is indiscriminately breeding puppies for financial gain and these puppies are not in a normal family setting,
properly socialised and well brought up. What happens when they are not puppies anymore?

Well exactly. Who knows. They are well kept at home, there are just a lot of them. It’s not even a sustainable business.

the charity element I understood, I think battersea did an event which makes sense.

Horse riding is animal exploitation. It's not mutually beneficial.

And yes, I'd say this dog use is exploitative too.

“Horse riding - mutual benefit”

What mutual benefit?

I think you’re picking and choosing.

You’ve already said that these dogs are well kept in a home environment.

I think many dogs are working dogs and would actually like the intellectual stimulation of going to a job everyday with humans and acting essentially as therapy dogs. It’s not much different than therapy dogs that go to care homes to be pet and fussed over.

Our local co-op also has a working cat. Well, he’s a neighbourhood cat that decided one day to hang about the co-op every day from open to close. I think he likes people watching. The manager lets him wander about and he has a nook by the entrance to sleep in. He likes interacting with the community and knows most of the village. He then clocks off and goes home each night to his family.

“the charity element I understood, I think battersea did an event which makes sense.”

How does the charity element excuse it?
Either the dog is being exploited for money or it isn’t. That the money is going to a charity doesn’t change the dog’s experience of it.

Aren't they essentially acting as therapy dogs?

I really can't see the issue of dogs going to "work" as long they're well cared for otherwise and still allowed to be dogs when they're not on the clock.

Well I assumed horses enjoyed riding, if they don’t it’s also exploitative to me. I did not know that and now I do, thank you.

im not picking and choosing, anything that is not of benefit to the animal, is exploitative.

you’ve missed at the start I said what about this “in general”.

Because it raises money for charity, the dogs exist anyway and aren’t made specifically to make money for one woman but for a caring organisation who would have to pay to house the dogs anyway. The dogs get attention that they otherwise would not.

Horse riding is mutually beneficial. Horses need to be exercised by riding them or get atrophy, get injuries and die an early death.

Horse RACING is exploitation.

Why would you assume that horses enjoy being ridden?
You don’t need to be an equestrian to know they have to carry a weight around, have a bit in their mouth to control them, and get whipped.
Of course if you are an equestrian you’ll talk about good training and light touch on the mouth, and leg squeeze instead of crops… but for your uninformed lay person, reins and crops is pretty standard horse stuff.

Weird that you’re happy to assume horses don’t mind being worked but do assume that puppies mind being fussed over in a sociable way that potentially meets their needs for stimulation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of anyone who misuses the term yoga!

But you seem to have taken against someone who has well cared for dogs living in a family environment - whilst making positive assumptions about other working animals.

Some people think we shouldn’t keep pets at all.

Horse people will tell everyone horses love it.

It's abuse, else why would they need breaking in.

@Onnabugeisha “Horse riding is mutually beneficial. Horses need to be exercised by riding them or get atrophy, get injuries and die an early death.”

But the horses are only bred to be ridden.
Don’t breed them - for money - and you don’t need to be ridden.
They could be exercised by experienced riders, instead of being yanked about and kicked about my beginners. But then they wouldn’t make money.

I’m with you on horse racing though.

They need to run. They don't need to be ridden. FFS.