Inner Peace With Puppies

Charlotte Catholic revealed that a new elective, Puppy Yoga, will be added to the course line up for the upcoming school year. Catholic has partnered with The Charlotte Dog Club to provide the puppies and Atha Yoga to provide certified instructors. 

Puppy yoga has grown into a popular activity in recent years, attracting people of all ages who seek relaxation and time to play with puppies. Many students have shared how much they enjoy their experiences with puppy yoga, and the school has decided that it would be a fun and uplifting class to offer.

The description for the elective was just recently released this week. Each day, a different breed of puppies will be brought in, including Cavapoos, Mini Berniedoodles, Mini Goldendoodles, Cockapoos, and Maltipoos. Along with the pups, yoga instructors from Atha Yoga will rotate to teach the course. Students will focus on the fundamentals of yoga all while being surrounded by puppies.  

Since having puppies enclosed in a school building all day is not ideal, administrators have planned a dedicated space for the course. Beginning in April, construction will start on a small outdoor enclosure located on the outside of the school. The current plan is to use a previous classroom on the bottom floor of the fine arts building and transform it into a yoga room, full with mirrors and a yoga floor. A door will lead to a small fenced outdoor area complete with puppy necessities. This includes things such as dog beds, toys, water bowls, and an area for the puppies to use the restroom. 

Puppy yoga class (Credit: Charlotte Catholic High School)

In addition to the space for the dogs, an overseer from the breeding company will be present at all times. When classes are not in session, the breeders and yoga instructors will take the dogs on walks. At the end of the school day, all dogs will return back with the breeder. 

Students will be expected to follow both yoga and animal-handling guidelines, which includes sharing the puppies, remaining calm, and ensuring that the dogs are treated safely. Since there has already been a great demand to join, an early sign up form will be released to students April 1st. 

The course was created with the idea that it would be a stress-reliever during the school day. Mrs Carden, a sophomore English teacher, explains that students face a lot of social and academic pressure, and the new elective will serve as an outlet for relaxation. 

The new elective is to be offered as a semester-long course, and it is already gaining lots of attention from students. Sophomore Hayden Fox shared that as soon as she heard about the new class, she immediately encouraged her friends to join. As the school puts it, “The only students not eligible to take the class are those allergic to happiness.”