Puppy Yoga in Ottawa: Your New Favourite Workout

Puppy Sphere's yoga mats (Miranda Caley/PTGO)

I’m always searching for new ways to engage in physical activity—hot yoga, barre classes, Zumba, you name it. So, imagine my excitement when I found out about Ottawa’s latest fitness trend: puppy yoga.

Welcome, Puppy Sphere! A woman-owned business that has expanded from major cities across North America like New York, Miami, Chicago and Toronto to bring adorable, tail-wagging yoga sessions to Ottawa.

📍 Location: Unit 10, 1338 Wellington St. West, Ottawa, ON

💸 Price: $56.50 (incl. tax)

🐶 Included: 45-minute Puppy Yoga Class for Beginners, 30-minute Puppy Chill Time, and health-focused beverages

🌟 Experience: 5/5

I was lucky enough to attend Puppy Sphere’s grand opening in March with a dog-loving friend. Now, before we dive into downward dogs with actual dogs, and tell you everything you need to know about puppy yoga in Ottawa, we have to address one big question: where do the puppies come from?

Puppy Sphere's grand opening featured 8-week-old Siberian Huskies (Miranda Caley/PTGO)

Where do the puppies come from?

Thankfully, Puppy Sphere is transparent about this.

They partner with local breeders and rescues in an effort to help socialize the puppies. Each puppy gets nearly an hour-long break between classes, and since sessions are only on weekends, the puppies return to their respective breeders or rescues during the week. 

With that being said…

Walking into Puppy Sphere

Fake candles lit the yoga studio for a relaxed, calm atmosphere (Miranda Caley/PTGO)

Located in the heart of Hintonburg, finding the class was a little tricky at first. The private space it’s tucked inside a shared building, but once we found the entrance, there were plenty of signage directing us to the yoga room.

We were warmly greeted by a sweet team of women who checked our waivers and showed us where to hang our jackets. While removing our shoes, we overheard puppies barking in the next room, which had us buzzing with excitement! We already knew from Puppy Sphere’s social media posts we were going to hang out with 8-week-old Siberian Huskies—we were over the moon!

Moving into the cozy, warmly lit yoga studio, we were given black yoga mats and a complimentary wellness shot of grapefruit, orange, and ginger—a refreshing way to start off our session. The room was small and intimate, which I prefer for my yoga classes, but it also felt open and comfortable thanks to the several mirrors on the walls.

The Yoga Class: expect chaos (in the best way!)

"This guy was such a lovebug, I had to resist the urge to take him home with me!" (Miranda Caley/PTGO)

Our instructor, McKenna, started the class with some rules; such as, not picking up the dogs unless seated, keeping voices down to avoid scaring them, and raising our hand if we notice a puppy has an “accident” anywhere.

The class itself was beginner-friendly and about 45 minutes long, followed by 30 minutes of dedicated puppy playtime.

Our yoga instructor, McKenna, was happy to answer any questions asked by excited participants. (Miranda Caley/PTGO)

As someone who has practiced yoga for over a year, I was curious to see how it would go. And let’s say… I’m pleased to report that it’s a very basic class, it was definitely more about the puppies than the poses!

The class started off fairly slow, though you could feel the eagerness and anticipation in the room while we waited for the puppies to join. About five minutes in, the calm, relaxing music stopped and the classic “Who Let The Dogs Out?” started to play, and suddenly, seven Siberian Huskies came barrelling into the room!

Many of them ran towards participants, but a few dove into the mirrors on the wall, which was hilariously adorable. It was chaotic for the first 15 minutes as the puppies acclimated to all of the people around them, but it was so much fun to watch them. They were chasing each other, knocking over (sealed) water bottles, and jumping all over anyone who was on a mat. The Puppy Sphere staff were super proactive in cleaning up any messes the dogs made, whether it was a water spill or a full on “accident.”

It was difficult to pay attention to our instructor for most of the session, but I believe they’re aware of this which is why they keep the class so simple.

If you’re looking to learn the basics of yoga, this is a great option.

Puppy Time!

The sweet photos Puppy Sphere snapped of my friend and I holding some of the pups (Puppy Sphere)

The puppies had calmed down by the end of our class and were soaking up all the attention they could get.

Puppy Sphere’s team was really amazing at ensuring everyone would get some time with the dogs; any time they spotted someone who hadn’t had a chance to hold one, they would bring them one. You can tell that their team is passionate, patient, and wants everyone to have an equally amazing experience.

At this point we were offered a complimentary green juice, which was full of healthy ingredients like cucumber, celery, spinach, ginger, and kale—another thoughtful touch.

Plus, they had a mini photo booth where my friend and I snapped an adorable keepsake photo of each of us holding a puppy.

Final Thoughts on puppy yoga in Ottawa

We both left already planning our return to Puppy Sphere because it was such a great experience.

You can tell the team truly cares about both their furry and human participants, making it a must-try for dog lovers and yoga newbies alike.

The dogs are well taken care of and it’s a great way to get your daily dose of serotonin.

Have you ever tried a yoga class that involved animals? Let us know about your experience!