This past weekend, I took a quick trip into Boston to treat myself to some much needed self-care. As a student living 8 hours away from home (and more importantly my pets) I take any chance I can get to pet a dog. So when “Puppies & Yoga Boston” popped up on my instagram feed, I was immediately hooked!
The experience did not disappoint! Not only was I provided with a guided yoga practice to stretch and prepare for the rest of the day, but I also got to snuggle up and play with some adorable puppies! With two Boston locations in Cambridge and Seaport, Puppies & Yoga is open every weekend on Saturday and Sunday. They offer a variety of session times from as early as 9 in the morning to 4 pm. Each weekend provides an opportunity to bond with a different breed of dog, whether that be golden retrievers, shih tzu’s, or in my case, poodles!
Before booking my appointment I was worried about the ethical nature of the organization. I wanted to know where these puppies came from, how they were treated during the process, and where they went after sessions ended. I didn’t want to unknowingly provide financial support to any organization that harmed the health and wellbeing of the animals. I was relieved to find that Puppy Yoga is not only therapeutic for us as humans, but for the dogs as well.
Puppies & Yoga partners with local breeders in the Boston area. The yoga practice acts as an early socialization method for the puppies (who usually fall between 8 to 12 weeks of age). Early socialization and human interaction helps the dogs adapt to new humans and environments quicker as well as helping to reduce stress later on in life.The puppies are given ample time to rest in between classes and they are provided with healthful amounts of food and water throughout the day. Once I learned this, there was practically nothing that was going to get between me and my morning of puppy yoga.
I arrived at their Seaport site at my allotted time on Sunday morning dressed in my comfy yoga gear. The room was wide and open, bright light filtering in through the wrap around windows of the complex. After checking in and taking off my shoes, I entered the den of the poodle puppies. I was in a class with about 15 other individuals ranging in age from young child to middle age. We each choose a private yoga mat laid out on the ground and settled in to begin the session.
With around 8 puppies freely wandering around the room, climbing on you, pulling your hair, and trying to play and/or snuggle up with you, I cannot lie and say it wasn’t difficult to focus on the instructor guiding us through positions. Luckily, it was a very relaxed, low-key environment in which you were free to follow along as you saw fit. The yoga portion of class lasted a total of 45 minutes which were filled with practicing basic moves and relaxing stretches. The next 30 minutes (aka the best 30 minutes) consisted of free unstructured time to play, snuggle, and take pictures with all of the puppies in the room. The dogs appeared to be positively thrilled with all of the attention and pets they were receiving and I couldn’t have been happier with how this experience went. It is a perfect activity for groups of friends or a solo adventure. That being said, I cannot leave out the fact that each 75 minute session costs a whopping $69, a price that can be wildly unreasonable for the majority of college students. If this is the case for you, Puppies & Yoga does offer gift cards making Puppy Yoga the perfect gift for your upcoming Christmas wishlist. I had the absolute best time with Puppies & Yoga and I highly recommend checking out their Boston locations.