Yoga and Barks: The Rise of Puppy Yoga

Tracy Searight

There are many different styles of yoga, and in the last few years, puppy yoga has become quite popular globally.

Imagine you are on your mat in plank pose while a fuzzy, 12-week-old puppy makes his way underneath you. A moment later, you lower down into a cobra pose, only to be greeted by a fur baby licking your cheek.

There has been an increase in the wellness trend in the fitness world of puppy yoga. This is a Yoga Class to practice with your playful puppies.

This offering blends the ancient practice of asana with the chaotic joy of young fur babies, moving all around the room while you follow along a yoga sequence on your mat. A true promise of a playful way to exercise, Puppy Yoga can be the ultimate mood booster in addition to an opportunity to help a great cause. Perhaps the event is coordinating with a shelter or is connected to an adoption event. 

Whichever the event, this brings an opportunity for awareness and increases the probability for the puppy or dog to get adopted, and allows the animal some time out of the kennel or shelter.

Puppy Yoga is the ultimate mood booster. When attending a puppy yoga or Dog yoga event, this is less about achieving the perfect Warrior II pose or Downward Dog pose.

It’s more about playful fun. While standard yoga classes focus on breath, flexibility, and mental illness, puppy Yoga brings in laughter, play, and more focus on the animals in the space.

For you, this becomes more about the health benefits; interacting with animals helps lower cortisol and helps spike production of Oxytocin and serotonin chemicals in the body that promote happiness and bonding. 

A puppy Yoga or Dog Yoga Class is less about calming the fluctuations of the mind and more about a sensory escape from the demands of the puppy or dog itself, the participant to be entirely present in a room and energetic Energy.

This socialization can be a tool for the puppy as well as the human. A Socialization Tool for the puppy. In addition, offer awareness for shelter and rescue organizations.

Socialization is a critical phase in a puppy’s early development. Between 8 and 16 weeks of age, exposure to different environments, noises, smells, and human touch helps shape this puppy into a well-adjusted, confident adult dog.

Who guides the class matters. You want a class with a certified yoga teacher who also has experience working with animals, especially dogs, who can responsibly manage a class with students and puppies. 

Having a safe environment for students and puppies is important. Many puppy yoga events partner directly with local animal shelters or ethical rescue organizations. Many of these events serve as interactive adoption events. 

This allows participants to interact with the puppies to get a sense of their true personalities shining outside a shelter or kennel, frequently leading to finding a new best friend right on their yoga mat.

As the trend of puppy yoga has grown, it has drawn scrutiny from animal welfare advocates. The biggest concern is commercial exploitation. When profit comes into play, there is always a concern for welfare.

Some animal activists have concerns about puppy safety, as puppies require up to 20 hours of sleep per day. Having an event with Music and flooding the room with eager humans could disrupt these rest cycles, compromising or maybe weakening the immune systems. There are also risks of injury from participants accidentally stepping or sitting on the puppy.

How can you be responsible?

Before booking a puppy yoga class or event, ask the organizer the following questions.

1. Who is leading the class? 

2. Is the Teacher a certified Yoga teacher?

3. Does the teacher have experience with puppies and dogs?

4. Does the yoga teacher have yoga insurance?

5. Have you been asked to sign a Yoga Waiver for the event?

6. Where do the puppies come from? Only attend classes partnered with verified, local rescue shelters.

7. Are the puppies being forced to interact? Is there an awareness of the puppies needing a break, whether a nap or water? An awareness of the weather and how that affects the puppy?

8. Is there a cap on class sizes? Smaller classes are ideal so as not to overwhelm the animals.

Once you ask those questions and move forward to book the event, make sure to bring your mat and a bottle of water. When bringing a mat, bring an older mat as it could get scratched accidentally. Either way, this is about fun and supporting a good cause.

Ultimately, puppy yoga can be a beautiful and fun experience. It is also a reminder that wellness does not always have to be serious or perfectly still.

When the focus is on the puppy first, the environment creates a sense of joy. It not only helps humans de-stress, but it also brings awareness to rescue pups and offers a head start on a happy, socialized life.