Sep 03, 2026

What to Expect at Your First Puppy Yoga Class in Toronto

Poodle puppy sitting on a pink yoga mat with a brick wall in the background. The brick wall has a large black window and there is a woman in the background also who is doing Yoga.

If you’ve never been to puppy yoga before, you probably have questions.

Is it an actual yoga class? Are puppies running around while you practice? Do you need to be good at yoga? And perhaps most importantly, how much puppy time do you actually get?

At PawPals Puppy Yoga in downtown Toronto, the answer is pretty simple: expect a real, beginner-friendly yoga class with a very adorable amount of chaos happening around you.

Here’s exactly what to expect from your first puppy yoga class in Toronto.

Yes, There Is Actually Yoga

Puppy yoga is definitely about the puppies, but there is still a yoga class happening.

Our classes are designed to be approachable whether you practice yoga regularly or have never stepped onto a mat before. You don’t need to be flexible, experienced or particularly coordinated.

The goal isn’t to perfect your poses. It’s to move, laugh, relax and have a really good time.

And yes, there may be a puppy sitting on your mat while you’re trying to do it.

The Puppies Are Part of the Class

The puppies aren’t kept separately while you practice.

They’re right there in the studio with you, wandering between mats, playing with each other, climbing into laps and occasionally deciding that your yoga mat belongs to them now.

Every class is a little different because every litter is different. Some puppies want to investigate absolutely everyone in the room. Others may find a favourite lap and settle in.

That unpredictability is part of what makes puppy yoga so much fun.

You’ll Have Dedicated Puppy Social Time

At PawPals, our weekly puppy yoga classes are 60 minutes long, with approximately 40 minutes of yoga followed by 20 minutes of dedicated puppy social time.

That means you’re not trying to sneak all your puppy cuddles in between poses.

After yoga, everyone gets time to sit down, play with the puppies, take photos and enjoy being surrounded by an unreasonable amount of cuteness.

You Don’t Need to Bring a Yoga Mat

We provide the mats.

Just arrive ready for class, bring some water and wear comfortable clothing you can easily move around in.

Because puppies will be wandering freely through the room, you should also assume there is a very good chance your outfit will encounter at least one tiny set of paws.

You Don’t Need Any Yoga Experience

This is probably one of the biggest questions people have before their first class.

Puppy yoga is completely approachable for beginners.

You do not need to know yoga terminology, be able to touch your toes or have any previous experience. Our instructors guide you through the class, and the atmosphere is intentionally relaxed.

If you lose track of the sequence because a Golden Retriever puppy has climbed into your lap, nobody is going to be upset about it.

Every Weekend Can Be a Different Breed

One of the things that makes puppy yoga in Toronto especially fun is that you can come more than once and have a completely different experience.

At Pawpals, we work with different litters throughout the year, so one weekend may feature Golden Retrievers while another could bring Corgis, Dachshunds, Pomeranians, Doodles or another breed entirely.

Upcoming breeds are announced as classes become available.

Expect to Take a Lot of Photos

You will probably leave with considerably more puppy photos on your phone than you arrived with.

Our classes include dedicated social time specifically so guests can enjoy the puppies without feeling rushed. It’s also a chance to capture photos and videos of an experience that is, admittedly, extremely photogenic.

Come with some space available on your camera roll.

Puppy Yoga Is Supposed to Be Fun

There are plenty of reasons people come to puppy yoga.

Some come because they love yoga. Some come because they love dogs. Some are celebrating birthdays, planning a Toronto date, visiting the city or just looking for something different to do on the weekend.

But the common denominator is pretty simple.

It makes people happy.

Pawpals has welcomed more than 40,000 guests since we opened, and our downtown Toronto studio was built around creating exactly that kind of experience: puppies, movement, laughter and an hour where life feels a little lighter.