Cincinnati's Puppies and Yoga Classes Blend Downward Dogs With Actual Dogs

Somewhere between a Saturday night Instagram scroll and a Sunday afternoon at the Garage on York in Newport, Sarah McCosham found herself on a yoga mat surrounded by St. Bernard and Poodle puppies, and honestly, that's the whole pitch.

McCosham, writing for Cincinnati Magazine, attended a Puppies & Yoga session after spotting an ad in her feed the night before. "As I laid in bed scrolling on a Saturday night and saw an ad for puppy yoga in Cincinnati, I immediately clicked," she wrote. "Impulsively, I signed up for one of the few remaining spots the following Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m." The class was held at the Garage on York in Newport, one of the Northern Kentucky riverfront cities McCosham describes as an extension of Cincinnati itself. Puppies & Yoga runs classes across the country, and in the Cincinnati market the venue shifts by event, making each session something of a pop-up.

The format is straightforward: 45 minutes of yoga, then 30 minutes of what the organizers call puppy chill time. Drinks and mats are included, though McCosham arrived with a backup mat of her own. "I brought my own mat, my backup, because, puppies," she noted, "and dressed for a yoga class that I knew would be the least serious and probably most fun I'd ever taken."

The mood going in was deliberate. McCosham had been working through a low stretch, leaning on long walks, scenic drives, and journaling. "I've been feeling a bit blue lately and I'm exploring those feelings versus ignoring them or being upset for having them," she wrote. The puppy yoga registration was impulsive in the best possible way.

One thing worth knowing before you book: Puppies & Yoga does not announce the breeds until close to the event. McCosham's session landed St. Bernard and Poodle puppies. "But really: You can't go wrong with puppies," she wrote. On arrival, attendees are instructed to scan a QR code to sign a waiver. McCosham notes the process "took longer than it should have because I was distracted" by the puppies already visible in a large gated area stocked with mats and toys. "I immediately began cooing to them in my puppy voice (you know the one)."

The one practical note for anyone with pet allergies: McCosham took extra allergy meds before heading in, arrived the requested 10 minutes early, and considered both moves well worth it.