Puppy Yoga: Sit, Stay, Savasana

A self proclaimed yogi myself, I didn’t know what to expect from a class filled with the balls of energy I know puppies usually are. Growing up with two dogs, whenever I would work out on my living room floor, my pups inevitably either made themselves comfortable on my mat, or worse, my legs, making any yoga stretch almost impossible.

Living in Sallies, I realised that I never venture out of the three-block radius that surrounds the hall. Most of my classes are less than a five-minute jaunt away, which becomes very useful when you regularly wake up with only 10 minutes to spare. However, when I heard of a puppy yoga class in the SPACE accommodation, I decided that the nearly mile-long walk would be worth it.  

Upon entering, I was greeted with the puppy smell so many dog owners come to know: nice at first, but after numerous accidents on the wooden floor of the event space, and eventually on many victims' yoga mats, it turned foul. In all fairness, the puppies ranged from around ten to fourteen weeks old, meaning they were at that terrible stage of biting, stealing people’s shoes, and yes, not being potty trained. Luckily, the two women in charge of the event were quick to clean up any messes and spray copious amounts of air freshener to neutralise the stink. Mess aside, being greeted by a rambunctious gaggle of dogs was a special treat. 

 We had around fifteen minutes to observe, play and cuddle with the pups before the actual class began. My trusty Editor, Alex Barnard and I found a spot near the front of the room to place our mats down. While the other class attendees had dogs all over them, we sat with puppy-dog eyes, seemingly unappealing to the canines. The quarter-hour before the class began did feel a bit performative. I observed many a photo taken in my fellow yogis’ matching sets, with a crew of puppies by their side. In their desperation for a good Instagram story, plenty of dogs were held captive as they tried to get the perfect picture. Admittedly, I had to snap a photo as well; why attend a puppy yoga class if my followers don’t know?

The class itself was definitely a beginner level. Barnard, whose yoga skills safe to say were barking up the wrong tree, felt the class level was approachable. “The appeal of the class to me, and probably others in attendance, was the puppies,” said Barnard. “Therefore, the relative ease of the yoga moves, especially to newbies like me, was a massive draw.” I found the class to be a bit distracting with all the dogs running about, but nevertheless felt refreshed after a few rounds of sun salutations. The instructor was a good sport, especially with the distractions of the dogs crawling all over her and the few times when she had to stop the class for an accident clean up. With only 30 minutes of class time, you can only do so much, so I appreciated what she came up with.

When we inquired about where the variety of dogs came from, the ladies told us they were from the same breeder. This puzzled me as the breeds spanned from cocker spaniel to weird weiner dogs. Upon further research, I also found that the purpose of this puppy yoga, at least for the puppies, was to socialise them before they’re adopted. I found that to be a stretch, especially because the dogs were given free rein to do as they pleased with little to no consequence. 

Since the event was held in one of SPACE’s event rooms, the residents of the accommodation had free access to the class, while the rest of the attendees paid the hefty £25 fee to take this one hour course. Alex and I took it upon ourselves to explore the main floor of the building, as neither of us had visited. I was quite shocked by the number of amenities that the first floor had to offer: plenty of study space, a laundry room that could put the Sallies basement to shame, and a brand new cafe on the way. That, plus the free events they hold, was enough to make me ponder if SPACE was a worthwhile prospect for post-halls living, yet when seeing the outrageous price tag coupled with the distance from everything in town, the fancy facade didn't seem as exciting.

Overall, puppy yoga was one of the most exciting experiences I have had at St Andrews thus far. It was a sweet escape from the horrors of looming deadlines. Yet, I fear that price didn’t feel worth the 50 or so pictures I took and the 30 minutes of yoga. So, would I go back again? Probably not. However, as all of the puppies at the class are soon up for adoption, some attendees might feel inspired to get one of these rowdy bundles of joy for themselves — if they can get past the potty training phase.

Photos: Natalie Contini and Alex Barnard