Yoga is one of those ways that allows me to move my body in a way that calms my nervous system. The same can be said for puppies. Puppy Yoga combines both of all these things, and creates an experience that brings joy and peace to its attendees.
CT Puppy Yoga very kindly extended an invitation to me, and I was very excited to attend this class. Puppies and yoga are two of my favorite things, and I was so in. My husband and I went, and we had an amazing date day together.
The structure of the session is 75 minutes in total with 45 minutes of a beginner-friendly flow, and 30 minutes of cuddle time with the puppies. Each week, there’s a rotation of breeds that join each class. At ours, there were Australian Cattle Shepards.
As someone who prides herself as being a dog mama, what really stood out to me was the amount of prioritization of the puppies’ wellness. We were not allowed to come into the studio until right before the class so that the staff made sure that the puppies were able to eat, sleep, and use the bathroom. Staff also made sure that all attendees sanitized their hands prior to touching the puppies as well, and went over ground rules to ensure that all puppies would be safe and healthy. Furthermore, all puppies were weaned and vaccinated, are given time to rest in between classes, and have access to adequate water.
The goal of these classes is to ensure that the puppies are socialized, and Puppy Yoga does not focus on the sale of these puppies. In fact, right on their website talks about how Puppy Yoga is very much discouraging impulse adoption and vet their breeders to make sure that they have a strict family vetting system — something that I appreciate. There is, however, a table at the studio that has information all about the dogs, the breeders, and more.
During the yoga flow, the puppies were free to wander. And that they did. The staff did guide them to different people in the class; however, they wandered, and slept wherever. And of course, they would come over and nibble. At least two of them were nibbling at my toes, which was the cutest thing. Having a puppy during my flow is something that is not new to me. My dog, Lucy, always does yoga with me, so I was used to making sure I was mindful of my movements prior to making them, as puppies seemed to wander wherever their little heart desired. During the class, we are instructed to make sure that we stay on the mat so no puppy gets hurt.
In terms of the level of difficulty of the yoga class itself, I would say that the flow was beginner friendly. I am no stranger to yoga, and have been practicing for years, so I found it to be a relaxing flow. However, my husband is very much beginner yogi. Both of us were still able to enjoy ourselves during the class itself.
Now after the flow comes the best part: puppy playtime. Those who attend the class get 30 minutes of playtime and snuggles. My heart melted watching them play and then eventually, fall asleep. My husband and I truly had a good time just being able to play with them and admire them for how cute they were.
Puppies and Yoga currently has over 55 locations; but there are currently three locations of Puppies and Yoga in Connecticut: Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Hartford. Classes run every weekend, and as I said earlier, the breeds rotate every week.
Overall, this was such a great experience that I definitely would do again. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a different date idea, an activity for a bachelorette party, or a birthday.
Thank you for hosting us, Puppies and Yoga Bridgeport. We will be back!
