Dog + Yoga = Doga?

Doggie yoga, or doga, is a great way to relax with your dog on a cloudy day. It can bring the tranquility and harmony of yoga to you as well as strengthen the bond between you and your dog.

Humans Do the Strangest Things

When I started practicing yoga at home, my Min Pin/Chihuahua mix was very concerned, especially when I was in corpse pose. I think he was certain that I was ill or injured because when I didn’t respond to his nudges or licks, he sat on my face to guard me. I later learned that some dogs actually participate in their person’s yoga routine. Doga is a great rainy day activity that will engage the body and mind of both you and your dog.

In this extremely cute video, Pancho the Chihuahua mimics his owner’s yoga moves exactly.

How Does My Dog Participate in Doga?

A large part of doga is relaxation for you and the dog.  Thus, it is important not to force your dog to do poses it doesn’t feel comfortable doing.  That being said, dogs can do several doga poses, and, of course, they get to take part in being petted and attended to by you.  In the beginning, you may want to focus on deep breathing and relaxation with your dog.  Remember, a large part of doga is strengthening the human-canine bond, and thus, doga should be fun and relaxing for your dog.  Min Pins and other small breeds can act as a weight to deepen your stretches. With a larger dog, you may reach over it to extend a stretch or position the dog under your knees in a supine position to relieve pressure on your spine. During the relaxation portion of your practice, add massages for your dog. Leg and joint massages are common among doga practices, and tummy rubs never hurt.  Talking to and praising your dog in a soft voice will complement the experience.

See Doga in Action

This12 minute video is an example of a doga class in action.  As you will see, the yoga instructor emphasizes allowing the dog to do what it is comfortable doing and not forcing the dog into poses.

If you are interested, doga classes are offered in many major metropolitan areas.  When I did a quick internet search for “doga classes,” the results included information about doga classes all over the U.S.

Doga Strengthens the Canine-Human Bond

The biggest benefit of doga, in my opinion, is strengthening the Canine-Human bond.  It is well documented that positive feelings, such as love and bonding, release endorphins, which stimulate pleasure centers in the brain.  Thus, positive emotions act chemically to make you feel good physically as well as mentally.  It is likely that it does the same for your dog.

In addition, when have you ever been with your dog where there wasn’t a chance for laughs?  A doga class is no exception and can provide laughs in abundance.  Since laughter is the best medicine, you’ll likely get a hefty dose of an all natural remedy for any ailment!

Other Benefits of Doga for Humans

While the humans work toward getting fit, they also  socialize their dog and bring the positive energy of the canine-human bond into your yoga practice.  An added benefit is that the dog can provide motivation to practice yoga regularly.  For example, your dog may start bringing you your yoga mat.

Other Benefits of Doga for Dogs

Dogs need stress relief, too.  Dog brains are very similar to human brains, and dogs can suffer from conditions like depression and anxiety just like humans can.  Doga can provide one avenue to relieve your dog’s stress, and this will make your dog as happy and healthy as it can be.

In addition, the time you spend with your dog while practicing doga is important to your dog’s health.  Dogs have evolved to be near humans, and thus, have a need for bonding with their owner.  The time, attention, and tactile stimulation a dog gets from doga is extremely important to form and maintain this bond.

Practice Safe Doga

Be sure to keep your dog’s safety in mind and don’t put your dog in unnatural positions. If you want to balance your dog in some of your poses, make sure your pose is stable and consider having a friend act as a spotter. For example, if you want to balance your dog on your thigh while in a warrior pose, you don’t want your leg to be shaking. Remember that Min Pins have a fine bone structure, which can lead to fractures if your Min Pin falls or is dropped.

What Do You Think?

Have you or someone you know tried doga?  What was it like?  How did he or she like it?  Do you have tips that might be helpful to others attempting doga?  Comment below and let us know!

This Miniature Pinscher was found in the St. Louis metro area.

Miniature Pinscher Found in St. Louis Metro Area

This Miniature Pinscher was founding the St. Louis metro area by Tower Grove/Macklind Ave. area of St. Louis. He is neutered, has cropped ears and a docked tail, and no microchip or tattoo. He weighs about 22 lbs.

The generous people who found him have taken him to the vet, and he is in good health. He looks like he has been eating well, and so he is unlikely to be a stray or abandoned.

The Min Pin lovers who took him in have said that he won’t be sent to the pound, but they would like to return him to his home if the owner can be found.

Microchipping: Just Do It

Even the most loyal dogs can escape their fence, house, yard, or leash. Miniature Pinschers are especially good escape artists. In fact, I call my dogs “Houdini dogs.” Most dogs who escape aren’t trying to run away from home, but what dog can’t resist a good adventure? I’m sure the owners of this dog are worried about this little Min Pin and are anxiously awaiting his return. You probably would be, too, if your Min Pin were lost. You can save yourself much worry and possibly heartache by having a microchip implanted in your dog. It’s safe, effective, and inexpensive. In addition to getting your dog back sooner, the cost of the microchip is probably less expensive than paying for your dog staying in the animal shelter for a few days.

How Can You Help Find His Owner?

If you know the owner of this dog, please have the him or her contact me through the contact form. I will relay the message. If you live in the St. Louis area or know people who do, please share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or other media, and ask your friends to share. Thanks to some great dog lovers, this Min Pin is in a safe home now, but I’m sure he would like to be back with his owner.

Calling Team Maddox

Maddox is a Miniature Pinscher who was lost in Edmond, OK while on a visit there. Maddox’s owners searched extensively for him and coordinated a large number of people to participate in the search effort. The post, Help Find a Lost Miniature Pinscher, tells Maddox’s story. I know that everyone in Team Maddox empathizes with owners who have lost their dog. I’m asking Team Maddox members to please help spread the word and maybe we can reunite this little Min Pin with his owner.

To the “Foster Owners”

On behalf of all dog lovers, I want to especially thank the couple who found the Min Pin and are taking care of him during the search for his owners. While I hope for a reunion with his owners, I also know that he is in good hands. You have invested both your time and money to make sure he has good care now and in the future. Thanks!

The Fourth of July is a Time for Celebration!

But Can be Scary for Dogs

Photo Credit: Jeff Kubina on Flickr

Fireworks, hot dogs, and having friends over are great ways to celebrate the fourth, but all these thing (well…except the hot dogs) can be scary for your dog. As you know, dogs have very sensitive hearing and many are scared of loud noises like fireworks. Animal shelters see a dramatic rise in lost dogs during the Fourth because dogs who normally would not run away get loose to escape due to their fear of the noisy fireworks.

Preparing your dog for the Fourth is especially important for little escape artists like Min Pins. They can often slip through small gaps in the fence, and they will use their intelligence to figure out exactly how. Maybe a chair is too close to a 4 foot fence. The Min Pin could use the chair as a stepping stone to freedom and trouble.

How Can I Protect My Dog?

As stated above, dogs often run away during the festivities surround the Fourth because they are scared of fireworks and are trying to get away. There are many common sense approaches to minimizing the chances that your dog escapes and possibly gets lost.

Separate Your Dogs From the Festivities

• Leave your pooch at home when attending firework displays. Even if your dog goes everywhere with you, you are not doing your dog any favors by taking it to someplace where it will be terrified.
• If you are planning a fireworks display at your house, secure your dogs in a crate or similar space where they feel safe and is as far away from noise as possible.
• If your neighbor is planning a fireworks display, scout out your local city’s dog park or other places you can take your dog during the noisy display. If you are on good terms with your neighbors, you might want to ask them if they are planning to shoot fireworks. That way, you’ll have a heads up that you might need to make other plans.

Photo Credit: Michael Nyika on Flickr

Prepare for an Escape Attempt

It’s a fact of life that sometimes, the unexpected happens. You may have secured your fence and feel confident that it is inescapable. However, dogs can be escape artists, or as I call them “Houdini dogs.” Take steps to prevent escape and also to find your dog quickly and easily in case your dog successfully escapes.

Secure Your Yard

• Look at your yard and fence. Are there holes or areas that are broken. Remember that if your dog is trying to escape, it is likely doing so because it is terrified and will be desperate to get out.
• Is your dog a digger? Chicken wire around the perimeter can deter digging under.
• Get on your dog’s level. Crouch down to the dog’s line of sight. Seeing what the dog sees can be helpful to find weak spots that you might have missed otherwise.

Update Your Dog’s Information

Take steps beforehand to find your dog easily in case of escape.

• Check your dog’s collar. Does it fit? Has it deteriorated to the point needs to be replaced? In addition to the main material of the collar, check the buckle. Does it still securely hold the collar together. Check any stitching that holds the buckle to the strap. Have threads come loose? Are the holes in the collar likely to break upon mild to moderate tension? If any of these things are true, get a new collar. A collar makes a dog much more findable.
• Is your dog’s rabies tag up to date and readable? If you haven’t put this year’s rabies tag on your dog’s collar, this is the time to do it. A rabies tag can make a world of difference in how your dog is treated at the shelter or if it bites someone. Remember:  a usually docile dog will bite to defend itself, and a dog terrified from the noise of fireworks will be in defense mode. Also, make sure that the tags are readable. If your dog has chewed it’s tag to the point that it can no longer be read, the tag isn’t useful. Most veterinarians will replace these tags free of charge.
• Does your dog have a tag with your contact information? Dogs can be traced to their owners through a rabies tag, but reunions will happen much faster if you can be contacted directly. The faster you can find your dog, the better. Plus, it will make room at the shelter for other lost dogs.
• Microchip, microchip, microchip! This is a quick and easy way for a shelter to find dog owners. Plus, it is an extra line of security in case a collar falls off. Inserting a microchip is a quick procedure in which a small device, about the size of a grain of rice, is injected under the skin. It is quick, reliable, and essentially painless to the dog.

I Lost My Dog! Now What?

1. Don’t Panic! You will think much more clearly if you focus on logical and rational steps to find your dog.
2. Call area animal shelters. In addition to the closest animal shelter, call others in the vicinity, and call back often if you do not find your dog soon. Make sure to stay on friendly terms with the workers. We as humans are often not at our most tactful when in an emotionally upsetting situation, but remember that most animal shelter workers truly want to find an animal’s owner. Don’t take your frustration out on them.
3. Put up fliers. Start with places closest to your house and work out from there. Also, go to places the dog might frequent like the park or other favorite spots in the neighborhood.
4. Alert your neighbors. In addition to the fliers, it never hurts to knock on your neighbor’s door. Many will take the matter seriously and actively look for your dog. When one of my dogs was loose, I went to the neighborhood park and told all the dog owners there about my lost dog. Most began actively looking for my dog as they walked their dog around the neighborhood. I was grateful to have such great neighbors!
5. Pound the pavement. Your dog is likely somewhere in the neighborhood, and you can’t find it if you aren’t out there. Consider using a bicycle as it will allow you to cover more ground than being on foot.
6. Social media. Many of your friends on social media likely live or work the same city if not neighborhood that you do, and the great thing about social media is that the message can be shared quickly.

How Can You Help?

Foster a Dog

As I mentioned earlier, the shelters typically see a dramatic increase of residents in the time surrounding the Fourth of July. You can help ease the shelter’s burden by fostering a dog. Many dogs lost during the Fourth’s festivities have homes and owners who desperately want them back. If this is the case, you would only need to foster a dog for a short time, and yet it could make a huge difference to the overwhelmed shelter as well as make an owner grateful that the dog had a safe place to stay during its hiatus from home.

Volunteer at a Shelter

If you can’t foster a dog, consider volunteering at a shelter for a short time to ease the burden of caring for all the dogs that are displaced during the Fourth. Brushing a shedding dog’s hair can dramatically add to the comfort of a dog in hot weather, and playing with a dog can reduce its stress level. Imagine how scared you would be if you were away from home and thrown in “jail” without knowing what will happen to you. Thus, reducing stress is valuable to the health and well-being of the dog.

Have Fun and Keep Safe

Finally, I would like to tell my readers to have a great Fourth of July! Keep all members of your family in mind as you go about your festivities, and I wish you a wonderful holiday.