What are the risks of puppy yoga?

The popularity of puppy yoga has been rising rapidly over the past few years. It is only expected for people to wonder if there are any risks associated with this unique form of yoga before they book a class. There are a few risks but perhaps not ones you’d expect…

Risk 1 - Falling in love with a puppy

The main risk of going to a puppy yoga class is that you will fall in love with one of the puppies!

It is hard not to fall in love with puppies. They are small, fluffy, and adorable. When we bond, pet, and play with puppies, a hormone called oxytocin is released which makes us want to protect and cuddle them and take them home. Puppies offer us just as much emotional support and comfort as we give them.

Luckily, sometimes animal shelters are known to loan puppies to yoga classes in the hopes that someone will feel inclined to adopt them. It is worth asking the yoga instructor before you book the class where the puppies are being loaned from and if there is a possibility you could take one home.

Risk 2 - Getting distracted and falling over

Another risk of going to a puppy yoga class is getting distracted and falling over!

Puppies are normally at least seven or eight weeks old before they start attending yoga classes. Unlike adult dogs, puppies will gently bite you, climb on top of you, and run underneath you whilst you are mid-pose. If you are not careful and focused, you could fall down onto your yoga mat.

There is no reason to worry though! Yoga instructors expect the class to be distracted by the puppies as that is why you booked the class. You will only ever be performing beginner-level poses that are unlikely to cause injury if you do lose balance, such as mountain pose (tadasana), child’s pose (balasana), and cat/cow pose (marjaryasana to bitilasana).

Another popular yoga pose in puppy yoga is puppy pose (uttana shishosana) as it is one the puppies can easily mimic. This movement involves a deep backbend and the opening of the chest, resembling a dog stretching onto its back legs.

Risk 3 - Spending a lot of money

Puppy yoga classes are not known for being cheap. If you frequent these classes you could end up spending a lot of money!

A one hour class normally costs around £35 in London. This is markedly more expensive in comparison to traditional yoga classes which are about £10 per session, or £5 for community classes. For this reason, most people use puppy yoga as a one time treat for themselves or as a gift for a friend, partner, or family member.

If you find yourself enjoying the puppy yoga sessions so much that you want to make it a regular occurrence, perhaps look into fostering or adopting a puppy and bringing the class into your own home!