Protecting Your Pet: Pet Yoga

WSVN -- Think your dog's got it made in the shade.

It's not easy being at our beckon call. You can help rover relax with ruff yoga offered by crunch fitness.

Yoga teacher Maribeth Milkier: "It's very therapeutic."

Pet owner Sasha Tam: "I was like dog yoga -- let's go."

Maribeth: "The belief in yoga is that all beings are one but we really aren't all that much different from our dogs."

In these 30 minute classes pooches set the pace.

Maribeth: "This is Trixie who is our dog instructor. Begin by petting your partner. Ask them if you can grab their front legs."

Yoga keeps their bodies flexible and muscles strong. But bonding is the best part.

Maribeth: "This is where we do partner yoga with our dog. Inhale up -- exhale come down."

Maribeth: "We do poses like tree pose with the dogs -- either holding the smaller dogs above our heads or using the larger dogs as props for our feet. Now that they're nice and warm let's do one more sun salutation."

Maribeth Melchior: "What's really amazing is how well the dogs respond to yoga."

Pet owner Sasha Tam: "Dogs are very sensitive -- They feel certain energies."

Sasha Tam: "It keeps them in a good doggie frame of mind."

But don't try this on your own - you must learn how to do it right - or you could do more harm than good.

Dr. Jan Bellows from Hometown Animal Hospital: "Before you start yoga or any other exercise program, you should have the dog checked by the veterinarian. Some people tend to over due things a little and if they're putting pressure on their pets and it's hurting that certainly would not be recommended."

Start slowly and watch your dogs body language, barking, whining, snapping, biting or sudden movements that can indicate your pet is uncomfortable.

While these creatures have a mind of their own, at the end of the day with just the right touch and position your pooch will be...

Yoga Instructor: "when I'm doing it with Trixie she calms right down. it calms me down and it calms her down. So it just proves yoga principles do work with other creatures as well. It keeps them in a good doggie frame of mind."

Maribeth: "Thank you -- you guys are all great yogis and yoginis."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact: mmitzel@wsvn.com

Dr. Jan Bellows
Hometown Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic 
954-349-5800

Crunch Fitness Center
Miami Beach, FL
305-674-8222
www.crunch.com

Donna Syrus
Corporate Public Relations In N.Y.
212-993-0300