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Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

By Jean Grant| Photography by Gabby Frank
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Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

The easiest way to make planking more fun? Toss a bunch of adorable baby animals into the mix. Keith Mitchener, who runs an interactive events company called The Hive, started offering goat yoga classes in Ottawa before branching into the puppy sphere. He partners with various breeders, who will lend him puppies between six and nine weeks old for some socialization before they’re picked up by their new owners. The sessions are about pet therapy, not puppy peddling: most puppies are already spoken-for before the classes. Here are some photos of what went down during the class.

This class was held in a North York studio, but Mitchener switches it up each time. Since he lives in Ottawa, he only runs Toronto classes every few weeks:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

During our visit, the studio was filled with nine husky puppies. Mitchener switches up the breeds every three weeks:  Toronto, he says, goes crazy for French bulldogs, while Ottawa is more into Australian shepherds:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

These puppies were six weeks old:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

Snuggling the pups is encouraged, but you’re not allowed to hog their attention for too long, since there’s a higher people-to-puppy ratio. The class itself was super-gentle, mostly consisting of relaxing stretches and yin poses.:

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Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

The instructor, Echo, kicked off the class with a light warning: “The puppies will nibble on you, they will bite your toes, but you signed a waiver, so...”:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

Oh, hello there:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

This guy found a comfy napping spot:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

This one wasn’t hurting for attention:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

There were a few accidents, but the puppies managed not to pee on anyone’s mat:

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Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

It is possible to remain in this pose with a puppy on your lap:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

Bits of kibble were placed at the end of everyone’s mat to entice the pups:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

There were lots of giggles and audible “awwwwws” throughout the class:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

For 15 minutes after class, you can roam the room freely, pick up puppies for cuddling and photos:

Inside an adorable puppy yoga class

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