Dutch eye law to ban 'puppy yoga': official

A top Dutch official said Friday that he was weighing a ban on so-called "puppy yoga" in which participants use infant dogs during practice sessions, saying the animals were suffering.

Puppy yoga, which combines traditional yoga with fluffy puppies, has become hugely popular since it was introduced in the Netherlands a few months ago, especially in Amsterdam.

But Agriculture Minister Piet Adema opposes the practice, saying the animals are often woken up while sleeping before being used in sessions in which many dogs showed stressed behaviour.

"I don't think this is appropriate. Puppies need to sleep. They are in a very early stage of their development," Adema told the ANP national news agency after a cabinet meeting.

"You have to compare it with babies. You can't carry a baby around all day and make it do all sorts of things. Babies need sleep. That's how they develop," Adema said.

Puppy yoga "serves no purpose and makes no sense at all. It needs to stop," he said.

He said the Dutch consumer product watchdog agency (NVWA), which is also responsible for animal welfare, had investigated the craze and reported that "not enough room was being left for the needs of the puppies".

He now wants more to be done, saying he wanted a complete ban on the practice and also a prohibition on using other young animals such as kittens.

Meanwhile, yoga sessions with puppies can currently be booked in Amsterdam for around 45 euros ($49) a pop, according to various web sites.