Hold That Stretch

In case you missed it, the New York Times ran a story last week about a new craze: doga or yoga with dogs. The reviews for this pursuit of nirvana with your pooch are mixed but it shows, once again, just how far we are willing to go to include our dogs in every aspect of our lives.

The general idea beyond this bonding routine is that doga combines massage, meditation and stretching for you and your canine companion. I think the key is to find yourself a class where the dogs are fairly flexible (no pun intended) and willing to go along with the idea of low intensity exercise. Otherwise you run the risk of ruining your hour of escape with barking, panting and chaos.

One participant describes such a class in which the instructor used a stuffed animal (not even a dog) to demonstrate the position that the dogs were to assume as well as a large bag of treats to persuade the dogs to either assume that position or amuse themselves. "Peanuts, my retired racer greyhound did not participate," says the woman who attended such a class. "Instead, I did downward-facing-dog while he ate the most treats he's ever had in a 60-minute period."

Personally, I cannot think of anything more challenging than doing yoga with any of my dogs in tow, even mellow Amos. Every time I even try to stretch out on the floor with my dogs around, they interpret it as playtime.

Then again, there are those who seem to love it, so go figure. I'm just amazed at how far we are willing to go to include our dogs in our lives. As one disciple puts it: "People always ask me, 'Do dogs need yoga?' I say, 'No, you need yoga. But your dog needs your attention, and bonding with your pet is good for your health.'"