2023-12-25 12:56:00
Hello, welcome to puppy yoga. You can remove your shoes and place them in the wardrobe, put your coats and scarves up high, to prevent the dogs from nitpicking too much during the session. You can also place your bags on the side. Then sit on a yoga mat. The puppies will arrive soon. “In a warm yoga room, near Saint-Gilles, Morgane welcomes participants to one of the puppy yoga sessions that she organizes every weekend. A student at Solvay, she imported this very popular activity to Paris and London in our capital.
“I tested this during a stay in Paris and I found it great,” exclaims the young girl. She then set out to find a room and dog breeders who might be interested in this rather special activity. “It took me a little time at the beginning because I wanted to work with small breeders, but now it works very well, I even have breeders who contact me directly.”
This is the case of Laurence Reniers, from Ath, who arrives this Sunday with six puppies from his kennel The wonders of Doggy’Wood. She just arrived with a litter of seven and a half week old corgis, all female, a coincidence. It squeaks in the transport buggy. In the room, we feel the impatience growing among the participants in this session who do not hesitate to get up to come and admire the puppies. That’s it, the wild animals are released. As soon as they come out, the little balls of fur set off to explore their environment. On the yoga mats, the participants melt – “it’s so cute” – and everyone takes out their smartphone to immortalize the puppies playing, sniffing, running, sometimes even clumsily.
A 50 minute session
But recess is soon over, the yoga teacher begins her class. While the humans alternate strange positions, the corgis go about their puppy business. Morgane and the breeder monitor and are responsible for putting back the little runaways who stray too far from the center of the yoga mats. The atmosphere is relaxed, there is a laugh when the puppies come to tease the practitioners, by coming to sniff their hair when they are lying down or by grabbing a sock or a piece of carpet.
After thirty minutes, the yoga session is already coming to an end. Participants then have the opportunity to interact with the puppies for fifteen minutes. The little corgis are pampered, we hold them, we play with them. Finally comes the stretching, for five minutes. Then the puppies will find their transport buggy and make way for the next litter. The participants leave with smiles on their faces.
A concentration test
Puppy yoga obviously attracts participants most for the interaction with puppies. It’s rare for people who are afraid of dogs to sign up. On the other hand, it is very common to see people in the room who have never done yoga. The session is aimed at beginners and the teacher selects easy exercises. Everyone is therefore welcome: “If a position is too complicated, we can simply pass it,” explains Morgane.
Those who have already practiced yoga can obviously try it. “It’s a good exercise to learn to concentrate despite external distractions,” smiles the organizer. The sessions are even open to children, depending on the breeds of dogs present. “We tried with Australian shepherds, very dynamic dogs, and we found that it was a little complicated to manage.” Important clarification, Morgane does not reveal in advance the breed of dog who will lead the session, to leave the surprise and avoid any preferences. So far, she has already received visits from corgis, Australian shepherds, poodles, akitas, bichons, Malinois shepherds… So there is something for everyone. At the time of our report, the student had even planned to test the concept with kittens.
For the moment, she is the only one to organize puppy yoga sessions in Belgium. Courses are given in Brussels and recently in Antwerp. We will therefore have to wait a little before seeing the concept spread elsewhere, in Wallonia, for example.
A means of socialization
Puppy yoga in Brussels is still very new (for five months), but it didn’t take Morgane long to convince breeders to join the adventure. These sessions indeed have many benefits for young dogs. “It’s super interesting for socialization,” says Laurence Reniers, the breeder present that Sunday with her litter of six corgis. “It allows them to meet different people, with varied physical characteristics, in positions that are not not usual. By being placed very early in this particular context, young dogs develop their confidence, they will then be more at ease, in all circumstances. The young girls here will not be afraid of anything.”
New sounds, unfamiliar smells, all of this will imprint itself on their little heads. Not forgetting the desensitization of traveling by car. “Often, young dogs make their first trip by car when they leave for their new home. There is then a risk of stress, with peeing and vomiting.” Inconveniences that we prefer to avoid.
The litter that walks happily around the course organized by Morgane is not at its first session. They have already come, accompanied by their mother. “We take it step by step, so that it’s not too intense. That way, they won’t be frustrated the next time.” Indeed, the puppies look very comfortable. The room is closed, so there is no risk of them getting lost in the corridors of the building. Games and water bowls are distributed throughout the room.
Morgane also does everything possible to prevent the spread of disease. Because at this age (around seven weeks), puppies are not yet vaccinated. After each session, she disinfects the mats and equipment.
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