Sit, Stay, Stretch: Recently opening in Kansas City, Puppies and Yoga offers the cutest new form of exercise

A litter of puppies running around a yoga class of 15 people sounds like a total disaster, but social media says it’s the new way to exercise. 

This trend of animal yoga classes — like goat and puppy yoga — has peaked in popularity over the past few years and is proven to decrease anxiety, according to Glamour. But personally, a dozen small animals scampering around a room while trying to hold a tree pose seems like it would increase anxiety.

To test my claim, I booked my first puppy yoga class. And while my class was definitely chaotic, it was my favorite thing I’ve done all month.

Puppies and Yoga Kansas City opened on Sept. 13 and should be recommended to all dog lovers. This may be the only place where you can be in a downward dog position, and literal dogs are running around your feet.

The yoga class is held at a makeshift yoga studio in a small event space. It took just over half an hour to drive to the Wright Event Space in Independence, Missouri, and honestly, I was skeptical at first. Located in a secluded strip mall sandwiched between a hair salon and an alteration store, I kept double-checking the directions to make sure I was in the right place. 

I was met with a baby gate separating me from a row of yoga mats and 15 clumsy puppies scurrying around. I knew this was the infamous puppy yoga that has been bombarding my Instagram feed for months. 

Guests are encouraged to arrive 10-15 minutes early for the class to have extra play time with the dogs, which is exactly what I did. After filling out a quick liability waiver and using a pump of hand sanitizer, I was on the other side of the baby gate alongside over a dozen balls of fur.  

My class had a mix of Goldendoodle and Bernese Mountain puppies, and by 2:15 — when the class started — most of the dogs were more interested in napping. But it didn't take away from the experience. 

While I did have trouble hitting the warrior poses with two baby Goldendoodles dozing off on my green yoga mat, it wasn’t like I was actually too invested in the yoga class. I was mostly there for the puppies. The class also had a fairly even puppy-to-guest ratio, ensuring there would be a puppy on each yoga mat. 

Taught by a cheerful yoga instructor, the 45-minute class was suitable for any yoga fanatic or amateur. And the best parts were when we could reach down from the yoga poses and pet the puppies.

More than once, a dog would relieve itself on the yoga mats, sometimes even on patrons' clothes or bags. The foul-smelling act was swiftly followed by a staff member and a spray-bottle of disinfectant, which was effective in cleaning the mess, but I can’t say how hygienic it was. It made the whole room smell of chemicals, which gave me a slight headache as bleach cleaners diffused in the small room. 

But the accidents were reasonable considering all the puppies range from 8-12 weeks old and come from local breeders. The classes serve as a way for the dogs to socialize before being adopted. 

Awesome Paws of Missouri in Trenton, Missouri, provided the puppies for the class, and after, participants who were interested in adopting one of the pups had the option to talk directly to the breeder. 

One of the few drawbacks of the Puppies and Yoga Kansas City was the hefty price tag. Each ticket was $65, a little too high considering the whole event lasted around 90 minutes, with the class and puppy playtime. 

The class is definitely a one-time special occasion for those who want the puppy experience as a gift or just want to splurge. Especially considering most dog owners can DIY puppy yoga using a YouTube yoga class and their own furry friend, I can't say I'll regularly attend puppy yoga classes.

But overall, the puppy yoga experience is everything Instagram is hyping it up to be. An hour and a half with a litter of puppies and a yoga mat is guaranteed to make tails wag.